Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should lead a high-level diplomatic effort to ensure that the Durban Review Conference serves as a forum to review implementation of commitments made at the 2001 Durban Conference to combat all forms of racism by defeating the campaign by some members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to divert the United Nation's Durban Review Conference from a review of problems in their own and other countries by attacking Israel, promoting anti-Semitism, and undermining the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Latest action · Sep 23, 2008 The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Progress
Where this resolution reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried. A simple resolution is the business of one chamber alone: it is not sent to the other chamber or to the President, and does not become law.
- IntroducedJul 22, 2008
- Agreed to in HouseSep 23, 2008
Summary
Acknowledges that the 2001 World Conference Against Racism marked an important recognition of the historic wounds caused by racism, slavery, and colonialism.
Calls on the President and the Secretary of State to lead a diplomatic effort to ensure that the Durban Review Conference focuses on the implementation of state commitments to combat racism, xenophobia and related intolerance, and to defeat any effort by states to use the forum to promote anti-Semitism or hatred against members of any group or to call into question the legitimacy of any state.
Commends all governments that have declared their intentions not to participate in any United Nations Durban Review Conference that sidesteps such commitments and promotes hate, undermines human rights standards, and damages U.N. credibility.
Urges all member states not to support such a Conference.
Commends civil society organizations that have joined together to learn from the shortcomings of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism and to work toward a 2009 Durban Review Conference that rejects hatred.
Recognizes the attempts of some countries to prevent a focus on ongoing racism by utilizing inflammatory language, employing divisive tactics and strategies, fostering an atmosphere of anti-Semitism and otherwise deviating from the commitments made at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in order to divert the 2009 Durban Review Conference from the important goal of eradicating global racism.
Calls on U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to urge the Human Rights Council to adhere to its mandate and asks him to refocus the 2009 Durban Review Conference efforts on the review of what U.N. member states have done to fulfill their commitments to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and on concrete action to fight racism, anti-Semitism, and all forms of hatred and violence.
Calls on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to urge U.N. member states to adhere to the agreed framework of the 2009 Durban Review Conference.
Cosponsors 25
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 22, 2008 to Sep 22, 2008, with 4 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-FL | Alcee L. Hastings | Original | Jul 22, 2008 |
| D-GA | David Scott | Original | Jul 22, 2008 |
| R-FL | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | Original | Jul 22, 2008 |
| D-CA | Maxine Waters | Original | Jul 22, 2008 |
| D-CA | Adam B. Schiff | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Eliot L. Engel | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Gary L. Ackerman | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Henry A. Waxman | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| D-FL | Robert Wexler | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| D-FL | Ron Klein | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| R-OH | Steve Chabot | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Steve Israel | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| R-TX | Ted Poe | Jul 23, 2008 | |
| D-MA | Barney Frank | Jul 24, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Brad Sherman | Jul 24, 2008 |
Actions 11
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 23, 2008Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8647-8652)
- Sep 23, 2008DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1361.
- Sep 23, 2008Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Sep 23, 2008Mr. Berman moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.
- Sep 23, 2008On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H8647-8648)
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 23, 2008Engrossed in House
- Jul 22, 2008Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this resolution on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.