[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 879 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 879

  Objecting to United Nations funding of the Durban Review Conference 
    using the United Nations regular budget, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 17, 2007

 Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Berman, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Engel, Mr. 
 Rohrabacher, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Poe, 
  Mr. Pence, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Royce, Mr. Wilson of South 
Carolina, Mr. Fortuno, and Mr. Inglis of South Carolina) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Objecting to United Nations funding of the Durban Review Conference 
    using the United Nations regular budget, and for other purposes.

Whereas the United States is opposed to racism, racial discrimination, 
        xenophobia, and related intolerance, and has long been a party to the 
        Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;
Whereas expensive and politically skewed international conferences can disserve 
        and undermine the worthy goals that they are ostensibly convened to 
        support;
Whereas the goals of the 2001 United Nations (``UN'') World Conference Against 
        Racism held in Durban, South Africa, were undermined by hateful, anti-
        Jewish rhetoric and anti-Israel political agendas, prompting both Israel 
        and the United States to withdraw their delegations from the Conference;
Whereas on September 3, 2001, Secretary of State Colin Powell explained the 
        withdrawal of the United States delegation by stating that ``you do not 
        combat racism by conferences that produce declarations containing 
        hateful language, some of which is a throwback to the days of `Zionism 
        equals racism'; or supports the idea that we have made too much of the 
        Holocaust; or suggests that apartheid exists in Israel; or that singles 
        out only one country in the world--Israel--for censure and abuse'';
Whereas the UN General Assembly has initiated preparations for a ``Durban Review 
        Conference'' (commonly referred to as ``Durban II'') and has requested 
        funding for those activities from the UN regular budget, over the 
        objections of the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, 
        and other prominent Member States;
Whereas the United States is the largest contributor to the UN system, and is 
        assessed for a full 22 percent of the UN regular budget, which is funded 
        by assessed contributions from Member States;
Whereas funding Durban Review Conference activities through the UN regular 
        budget could result in millions of dollars from United States taxpayers 
        being used for those purposes;
Whereas the preparation and management of the Durban Review Conference has been 
        committed to the UN Human Rights Council; and
Whereas during the 110th Congress the House of Representatives has passed a 
        prohibition on United States funding for the UN Human Rights Council, 
        and has strongly condemned the Council for ignoring severe human rights 
        issues in other countries, while choosing to unfairly target the State 
        of Israel: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly objects to any United Nations proposal to fund 
        the Durban Review Conference and preparatory activities through 
        the UN regular budget, which is itself funded by assessed 
        contributions of Member States, including the United States;
            (2) urges that any proposal to fund the Durban Review 
        Conference through the UN regular budget should be subject to a 
        vote in the UN Fifth Committee on administrative and budgetary 
        matters; and
            (3) urges the United States to use its voice and vote in 
        the Fifth Committee to oppose any proposal for funding Durban 
        Review Conference activities through the UN regular budget.
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