| Date | 4 December 2000 |
|---|
Instructions
Click on the Link to this button beside the speech or paragraph to expand it to a useful panel containing:
- The date of the speech
- A link to the original page of the PDF document
- A URL that can be used in most blogs
- A structured Citation template suitable for use in a Wikipedia article.
Those last two rows ("URL" and "wiki") use textboxes to hide most of the text.
To access this text, right-click in the textbox with your mouse and choose "Select All", then right-click again and choose "Copy". Now you can right-click into another window and choose "Paste" to get the text.
Agenda item 112
Elimination of racism and racial discrimination
Report of the Third Committee (A/55/600)
The President
I give the floor to the representative of the United States, who wishes to speak in explanation of position before action is taken.
Mr. Carp (United States)
We truly appreciate the hard work and the real spirit of compromise shown by everyone in order to reach the degree of consensus we have attained with these texts on the elimination of racial discrimination. Such a cooperative spirit bodes well for the upcoming World Conference against Racism. The United States knows the tragedy of racism first-hand. We are committed to combating it in all its manifestations, both at home and abroad. We look forward to the World Conference, and we are working hard to make it a success.
However, unfortunately, there are some elements in these draft resolutions that trouble us and keep us from becoming co-sponsors. Specifically, we are concerned about references that are inconsistent with the First Amendment rights set out in our Constitution, concerning freedom of speech. Thus, while we may denounce certain opinions, the right to express them is guaranteed by our Constitution. The United States took a limited reservation to that effect under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Secondly, we do not believe the General Assembly has the power to direct States to ratify treaties or conventions. We would prefer urging States to consider ratification or accession.
Furthermore, while we support the use of all appropriate measures to combat racism, "all available measures" are mentioned in the draft resolution. In our view, that is an overly broad formulation that could be subject to misinterpretation.
The President
The Assembly will now take a decision on the four draft resolutions recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 26 of its report and the draft decision recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 27 of the same report.
We turn first to draft resolution I, entitled "International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination".
The Third Committee adopted draft resolution I without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?
The President
Draft resolution II is entitled "Measures to be taken against political platforms and activities based on doctrines of superiority which are based on racial discrimination or ethnic exclusiveness and xenophobia, including, in particular, neo-Nazism".
The Third Committee adopted draft resolution II without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?
The President
The Third Committee adopted draft resolution III, entitled "Measures to combat contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance", without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?
The President
Draft resolution IV is entitled "Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and the convening of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance".
The Third Committee adopted draft resolution IV without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise?
The President
The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft decision entitled "Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination". May I take it that the General Assembly decides to adopt the draft decision?
The President
The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 112.
