U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement criticizing the United Nations’ decision to hold the Durban III World Conference Against Racism in New York City next September. Senator Gillibrand was among the first lawmakers to successfully urge the Obama Administration to withdraw from Durban II.
“It is an insult to America that the United Nations has decided to hold the Durban III conference in New York City just days from the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. We all witnessed how extreme anti-Semitic and anti-American voices took over Durban I and Durban II and we should expect the same thing to happen with Durban III. I appreciate the Obama Administration’s strong statement opposing yesterday’s resolution and urge it to again withdraw from the event and encourage other nations to do the same.
“This news comes on the heels of another abhorrent United Nations decision this week to eliminate Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, and Transgender individuals from a resolution condemning extra-judicial killing of vulnerable people around the world. The United Nations is supposed to be a voice for peace and justice in the world, not hatred and intolerance.”
A UN human rights committee in New York voted earlier this week to remove a reference to sexual orientation in a human rights resolution on extrajudicial killings. The US voted to preserve the reference to sexual orientation, but lost the overall vote that represents a significant reversal in UN voting trends.