U.N anti-racism conference participants adopt consensus resolutionApril 21, 2009 - 23:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The United Nations anti-racism conference moved from rancor to rapport on Tuesday, overcoming a conference-opening denunciation of Israel by Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to adopt a consensus resolution that governments applauded as an improved basis for action against racism and xenophobia.The adoption of the resolution by the committee that coordinates the conference ended months of negotiation that removed contentious clauses referring to Israel and Palestine and trying to make defamation of religion an offense against human rights. The conference will formally adopt the document here on Friday, but it is no longer open to debate or amendment, diplomats said. The conference statement was a significant improvement on the outcome of the conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2001, officials said. Ms. Pillay noted that implementing the 2001 plan had suffered setbacks because of increased migration, terrorism and measures used to fight it. The new resolution showed "the process is therefore evolving in a positive direction," said Peter Gooderham, the British ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. In a statement, the French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, said the final statement marked a victory over "those tempted to use the Geneva conference to forward their ideas of hatred and intolerance," The New York Times reports. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Court in Azerbaijan extends former Karabakh leader’s arrest by 5 months The Binagadi District Court in Azerbaijan has granted the prosecutor’s petition to extend the arrest of Arkady Ghukasyan. Ucom General Director joins High-Tech Development Panel Discussion The discussion was titled "The Role of International Corporations and Investors as Catalysts for Development of High-Tech Ecosystem." U.S. still believes “peace is possible” between Armenia, Azerbaijan The United States continues to believe that peace is possible between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vedant Patel says. Dozens detained as antigovernment protest continue in Armenia At least 63 people demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation were detained on May 14 as they blocked streets in Yerevan. |