Statement by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the remarks by the President of Iran at the Durban Review Conference
20 April 2009
I deplore the use of this platform by the Iranian President to accuse, divide and even incite. This is the opposite of what this Conference seeks to achieve. This makes it significantly more difficult to build constructive solutions to the very real problem of racism.
It is deeply regrettable that my plea to look to the future of unity was not heeded by the Iranian President. At my earlier meeting with him, I stressed the importance of the Conference to galvanize the will of the international community toward the common cause of fight against racism.
I further stressed the need to look to the future, not to the past of divisiveness. In this regard, I reminded the President that the UN General Assembly had adopted the resolutions to revoke the equation of Zionism with racism and to reaffirm the historical facts of the Holocaust respectively.
We must all turn away from such a message in both form and substance. We must join hands and work together to achieve a constructive, substantive agenda to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Press Release
Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on speech by President of Iran at Durban Review Conference
20 April 2009
The following comments may be ascribed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay:
"I utterly deplore the speech of the President of Iran delivered this afternoon at the Durban Review Conference against racism.
I condemn the use of a UN forum for political grandstanding. I find this totally objectionable.
Much of his speech was clearly beyond the scope of the Conference. It also clearly went against the long-standing UN position adopted by the General Assembly with respect to equating Zionism with racism.
The best riposte for this type of event is to reply and correct, not to withdraw and boycott the Conference."
