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Equality
, justice , dignity
The World Conference against
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
During the last fifty years since the adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the international community has made some important advances in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance. National and international laws have been enacted and numerous international human rights instruments,
particularly a treaty to ban racial discrimination, have been adopted. Progress has been made -witness the defeat of apartheid
in South Africa. Yet, the dream of a world free of racial hatred and bias remains
only half fulfilled.
As technology brings the peoples of the world closer together
and political barriers tumble, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance continue to ravage our societies.
Horrors such as "ethnic cleansing" have emerged in recent years, while ideas of racial superiority have spread to new media
like the Internet. Even globalization carries risks that can lead to exclusion and increased inequality, very often along
racial and ethnic lines. As racial discrimination and ethnic violence grow in complexity,
they become more of a challenge for the international community. As a result, new tools to deal with racism are called for.
"This World Conference has the potential to be among the most significant gatherings at the start of this century," the Secretary-General
of the Conference and High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, stated. "It can be more: it can shape and embody
the spirit of the new century, based on the shared conviction that we are all members of one human family."
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