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S. Africa Softens Stand on Slavery to Save UN Racism Conference
The South African government is trying to rescue the U.N. Conference Against Racism by pushing for a compromise that will keep slavery on the agenda but shelve the contentious questions of reparations, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.
The conference is to be held in the South African coastal city of Durban next month.
The United States has insisted that slavery and reparations be removed from the conference declaration or it will downgrade its delegation.
Africa, on the other hand, has insisted that slavery be recognized as "a crime against humanity that is unparalleled", and that the former colonial powers apologize and pay reparations to victimized countries.
Abdul Minty, deputy director of foreign affairs in the South African Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying that as host of the conference, South Africa had been speaking to many countries to persuade them that slavery should remain on the agenda but the developed world should not be compelled to pay reparations.
Instead, the developed world should support the measures in South African President Thabo Mbeki's Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Program, such as debt relief, development aid and support for fighting AIDS, Minty said.
He said the compromise would be taken to the next and final preparatory session for the conference.
"We are the chair so our role will be to try and get consensus, " he said.
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