PARLIAMENT HILL, Ottawa—Canada will be boycotting the latest in a series of United Nations anti-racism events, Citizenship and Immigration Ministers Jason Kenney told reporters on Thursday, because it is dominated by some of the world’s worst human rights abusers and anti-Semitic governments.
“Canada will not participate in this charade,” said Kenney.
That “charade” is the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, the U.N.’s anti-racism effort that Kenney says has become tainted.
Speaking to reporters with a backdrop screen patterned with the phrase “Say no to racism” in English and French, Kenney said Canada was the first country to withdraw from the Durban 2 Conference last year and many other countries soon followed including the U.S., Australia, Israel, and most of the European Union.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the only head of state to appear and used his opening day speech to condemn Israel and the United States, and argue against Israel’s existence.
This is the third time Canada has withdrawn from a Durban event and Kenney says that position has been vindicated each time. During Ahmadinejad’s speech in 2009, most of the European delegates walked out of the conference.
“If more countries had taken the same position as Canada ... it would have lost any credibility very early on.”
Kenney also criticized the UN for its condemnation of Israel.
“Israel is not perfect,” he said, noting that the Israeli Supreme Court has often had to correct the Israeli government. But he called it an insult to the idea of human rights to condemn the only country in the world whose very existence is threatened.
“Canada will not participate in this charade,” said Kenney.
That “charade” is the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, the U.N.’s anti-racism effort that Kenney says has become tainted.
Speaking to reporters with a backdrop screen patterned with the phrase “Say no to racism” in English and French, Kenney said Canada was the first country to withdraw from the Durban 2 Conference last year and many other countries soon followed including the U.S., Australia, Israel, and most of the European Union.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the only head of state to appear and used his opening day speech to condemn Israel and the United States, and argue against Israel’s existence.
This is the third time Canada has withdrawn from a Durban event and Kenney says that position has been vindicated each time. During Ahmadinejad’s speech in 2009, most of the European delegates walked out of the conference.
“If more countries had taken the same position as Canada ... it would have lost any credibility very early on.”
Kenney also criticized the UN for its condemnation of Israel.
“Israel is not perfect,” he said, noting that the Israeli Supreme Court has often had to correct the Israeli government. But he called it an insult to the idea of human rights to condemn the only country in the world whose very existence is threatened.
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