Welcome to NCCAR

Last month, NDP Members of Parliament gave contradictory statements regarding Canada 's participation in the 2009 Durban anti-racism Conference. While Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar supports the Government's decision to withdraw, others have stated that Canada 's presence is indeed needed at the Conference. We are surprised that the NDP has not issued its official position to date.

The chronology of events leading to the withdrawal from Durban II is strongly suggestive of intervention by the Israeli government and Israel supporters to deflect/avoid much needed examination of the racist elements in Israel 's occupation and siege policies. Embracing Israeli ‘exceptionalism' to international law and human rights is a very slippery slope. It can undermine the entire body of work by civil society designed to foster compliance by all UN members to agreed upon principles within the world community.

NCCAR strongly believes that Durban must address anti-Semitism. However, falsely charging individuals, organizations and countries with anti-Semitism as a means to silence justifiable criticism of Israeli state actions also need to be addressed in open and transparent ways. There are also many other kinds of racism which need vigorous, open discussion by the world community, including racism against the Canadian Black and Aboriginal communities.

Avoiding or side-tracking these important discussions at Durban will extend the already unacceptable delay in resolving many readily resolvable issues. The 2001 Declaration and the Program of Action issued at Durban I, which included development plans for Africa , debt cancellation, and the plight of women globally – all still to be implemented. Moreover, removing this discussion from the auspices of the UN will further undermine the only world body we have in which to focus global attention and find multilateral solutions to racism in all its forms..

We hope that the NDP will strengthen - not weaken - UN processes. We urge the NDP not to support the government's decision intended to devalue the worth of the Durban II Conference. We respectfully ask: what weight and legitimacy would a process removed from the UN have?