STATEMENT BY MR. OMAR KADIRI, DELEGATION OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO, ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA, ON AGENDA ITEM 115(A): ELIMINATION OF RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION; AND 115(B): COMPREHENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF AND FOLLOW-UP TO THE DURBAN DECLARATION AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION, IN THE THIRD COMMITTEE OF THE 58TH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS (New York, 24 October 2003)

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me first, on behalf of the Group 77 and China to thank the special Rapporteur of the Commission on human rights on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Mr. Doudou Diene for his report and the excellent work he has done during this year in order to fulfill his mandate which we fully support.

I also would like to thank the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for its report and for the positive and active role it is playing in the follow up to and the implementation of the Durban commitments.

The adoption by the International Community, more than two years ago, of the Declaration and Program of action of the World Conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, is a clear demonstration of our common commitment towards the elimination of these ugly phenomena.

In this regard, it is worth recalling that in Durban, our heads of States and Governments have recognized and affirmed among other things "that at the outset of the Third millennium, a global fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and all their abhorrent and evolving forms and manifestations is a matter of priority for the international community, and that this Conference offers a unique and historic opportunity for assessing and identifying all dimensions of these devastating evils of humanity with a view to their total elimination through, inter alia, the initiation of innovative and holistic approaches and the strengthening and enhancement of practical and effective measures at the national, regional and international levels".

The Durban Declaration and Program of action constitute a corner stone in the universal fight against all manifestations of racism and racial discrimination. Such manifestations contradict all the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human rights and violate the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Therefore, a resolute and renewed political will, adequate funding as well as sustained international cooperation are indispensable for the effective implementation of the commitments agreed upon in Durban. Such a will should be translated into concrete actions at all levels and with the participation of all relevant stakeholders, in order to combat racism and racial discrimination, including their new and contemporary forms. The role of national human rights institutions and civil society in this regard cannot be overemphasized.

Mr. Chairman,

By its resolution 56/266 of 27 march 2002, the General Assembly endorsed the Durban Declaration and Program of action, reiterating its resolve to spare no efforts towards the elimination of all forms of racism and racial discrimination.

Also, the Commission on Human rights adopted resolutions 2002/68 of 25 April 2002 and 2003/30 of 23 April 2003 by which it established different mechanisms for the follow up and implementation of the outcomes of the Durban Conference. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China whishes to stress the following:

- We appreciate the work of the working group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action and call for the implementation of its recommendations.

- We welcome the appointment by the Secretary General on the 16th of June 2003 of the five independent eminent experts to follow, in cooperation with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action. We are sure that the high level of the experts, their outstanding experience and their devotion for the cause of fighting racism, are enough guarantees for the success of their work and the full implementation of their mandate.

The Group of 77 and China welcomes the holding of the first meeting of the eminent experts in Geneva from 16th to 18th September 2003, with the participation of representatives from Member States, United Nations Organizations and Civil Society.

- We reaffirm that the role of the working Group of experts on people of African descent is essential to the implementation of the Durban outcomes and we stress that every effort should be made to ensure the full and effective implementation of its mandates and recommendations.

Mr. Chairman,

The Group of 77 and China expresses its deep concern regarding the increase of the use of the new information and communication technologies, especially the internet, as means to disseminate hateful and racist slogans and propagandas and to incite to racial hatred and xenophobic sentiments. Member States have to take the necessary measures, including legal sanctions, to fight these actions.

The new information and communication technologies and the media should serve as educational and awareness raising tools addressed towards their very large public in order to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to promote the values of respect of cultural diversity and mutual acceptance.

Mr. Chairman,

The Group of 77 and China cannot accept that sport becomes the scene of acts of racism and xenophobia. Sport is and should remain a way of promoting peace and friendship among human beings in a spirit of honorable competition and concrete measures have to be taken to prevent such acts of racism.

Mr. Chairman,

It is a source of concern to our group that the objectives of the Program of Action for the Third decade to combat racism and racial discrimination which ends this year have not been achieved despite all the efforts of the international community. The focus now should be directed towards the realization of these objectives within the overall framework of the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.

The Group of 77 and China reaffirms its firm and unequivocal Commitment to the implementation of the agreements reached in Durban in order to combat and eliminate all forms of discrimination that hinders the full enjoyment by every human being of his human rights and fundamental freedoms. We are resolved to work closely with the international Community and all other stakeholders towards the achievement of this goal.

Thank you.