The draft proposal was approved yesterday ("by acclamation") without changes! Thus the official outcome of the conference has been determined three days before it ends.
Today, I am focusing on presentations by official UN bodies. The CERD (Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination) reported on its activities earlier today, discussing interaction with government bodies and NGOs. In particular, it was mentioned that so far, only 53 out of 174 member states have submitted declarations to the CERD acknowledging Article 14 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, allowing individuals or groups from those states to file complaints directly with the CERD.
A representative of a Dalit ("untouchable") organization commended the CERD for its efforts to address the discrimination of Dalits even though caste-based discrimination was specifically left out of the DDPA.
Now listening to a presentation by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on freedom of speech and recitement to racial and religious hatred. Navanethem Pillay, the High Commissioner, mentioned this specifically as a bone of contention with the US, followed by vague words about the essential compatibility of free speech and respect for religious beliefs.
tbc
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