Palestinian women – Commission on the Status of Women – Press release (excerpts)

Commission on Status of Women

Forty-fifth Session

11th Meeting (AM)

GENDER PERSPECTIVE NEEDED IN DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES TO COUNTER

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN TOLD

The Commission on the Status of Women this morning held an expert panel discussion on one its thematic issues:  gender and all forms of discrimination, in particular racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

The theme of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance will be the subject of a forthcoming United Nations world conference to be held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 7 September.

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Background

When the Commission on the Status of Women meets this morning it will continue its consideration of one its thematic issues:  Gender and all forms of discrimination, in particular racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

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Right of Reply

In exercising her right to reply to a statement made earlier by the representation at the Asian regional conference on racism held from 19 to 21 February in Iran, FROUZANDEH VADIATI (Iran) said the statement was untrue.  In addition, the Zionist regime’s legitimacy was under question.  It was a regime which perpetrated racism towards Palestinians everyday, resulting in the deaths of innocent Palestinian women and children.  She said her country had placed no limitations on the participation of NGOs and other groups in the conference and had issued visas to more than 250 NGOs regardless of their religion and ideology.  She asked that her intervention be put on record.

In response, BRENDA KATTEN (Israel) said the name of her country had not been mentioned, but it was called Israel.  The Iranian representative’s intervention had reminded her of the darkest days of the United Nations when Israel had often been villified.  She insisted that Jewish NGOs had indeed been banned from participating in the conference, as were two States which she did not name.  Had she been the Iranian representative, she would not have talked about tolerance in this form.

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