DURBAN, South Africa -- The World Conference Against Racism adopted a declaration Saturday recognizing the injustice of slavery and colonialism and the "plight" of Palestinians after nine days of contentious debate and brinksmanship that repeatedly threatened to unravel the gathering.

Compromises on both issues were reached only Saturday morning, a day after the conference had been scheduled to end. Even as they accepted the compromise, Arab states registered their reservations that the conference would not directly condemn Israel for its treatment of Palestinians.

After the conference declaration and program of action were adopted about 4:40 p.m., Australia and Canada said they were unhappy with final documents' language on the Middle East conflict.

The gathering had been envisioned as a historic opportunity for the international community to create a blueprint for fighting racial discrimination around the globe, but became bogged down in disputes over whether to provide an apology and reparations for slavery and whether the document should condemn Israel.

Earlier in the day, South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told the conference she understood there was agreement reached on the two issues, and the Islamic states issued a statement confirming that.

But several Muslim countries then objected to efforts to delete additional text that many delegates felt indirectly referred to Palestinians, including a paragraph that said "foreign occupation ... is among the forms and sources of racial discrimination."

Debate on the issue pushed past a deadline of 4 p.m., when translators had to leave the conference and return home. The conference rejected their efforts and passed the conference text by consensus.

The United States and Israel had abandoned the conference on Monday, after efforts by Norway to work out a compromise failed.

Under the slavery deal, the conference acknowledged that slavery is a crime against humanity and "should always have been so." It also expressed an apology in the form of acknowledgment for the wrongs of slavery and colonialism and offer a package of economic assistance to Africa.

"We are happy we found a solution," Hans Winkler, an Austrian delegate, said.

It remained unclear what the new language would mean for European fears of potential lawsuits seeking reparations, though several European delegates said on condition of anonymity their fears had been addressed.

"It's certainly an issue that warrants further exploration," said Wade Henderson, a lawyer and executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a U.S. organization.

Negotiators from the European Union and African nations reached the agreement on reparations and the "crime against humanity" language about 4 a.m. Saturday morning, said South Africa's minister of public service, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.

They had reached agreement Friday to a compromise calling on those responsible for slavery to find ways to restore the dignity of victims. The statement amounted to an apology, said EU spokesman Koen Vervaeke.

But the EU had resisted calling the slave trade a "crime against humanity," though it was willing to condemn modern-day slavery as such a crime.

A copy of the compromise text, obtained by The Associated Press, said "slavery and the slave trade are a crime against humanity and always should have been so."

"The world conference, aware of the moral obligation on the part of all concerned states, calls on these states to take appropriate and effective measures to halt and reverse the lasting consequences of those practices," the text said.

Reparations, which were not directly linked to the slave trade in the document, would take the form of debt relief, opening of markets and poverty eradication efforts.

"Africa had a rendezvous with history," said Amina Mohamed, the Kenyan mediator in the talks. "We have an agreement on a document that is far from satisfactory, is terribly imperfect, but that provides a basis to build on, and I think, for the first time, the dignity of the black man has been recognized."

The deal on the Middle East was based on a South African compromise accepted Thursday by the European Union, but initially rejected by Arab states.

The proposal recognized the Holocaust and condemned anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and also expressed concern "about the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation." It did not specifically criticize Israel or mention Zionism.

The Arab states had called for the conference to condemn Israeli practices as racist. The European Union had refused to allow the conference to take sides in the conflict.

While the conference's documents are not legally binding, once adopted all countries promise to fulfill the applicable pledges made.

Islamic states said they had accepted the compromise, but still had serious reservations with its failure to address the Palestinian issue.

"Despite the fact that the text expresses concern about the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation, it failed to condemn the discriminatory policies and practices of Israel," according to a statement by Organization of Islamic Conference.

"Regrettably, our repeated attempts to initiate negotiations on this issue ... have been thwarted by other parties," it said.

They should be allowed to have meetings like this to blow off steam and accomplish nothing. That's why something like the United Nations serves a useful, but limited, purpose.

On the other hand, this kind of session did nothing to reduce racism or address the current problems and was a farce. We funded about 25% of the cost of this expensive boondoggle and that is wrong.

We should either withdraw from the United Nations entirely or reduce our financial support to equate with our vote in the General Assembly--about one half of 1%.

They had reached agreement Friday to a compromise calling on those responsible for slavery to find ways to restore the dignity of victims.

Dig 'em up, bring 'em back to life, apologize to 'em, then put 'em back in the ground.

that's about the only way I can think of to "restore the dignity" to "victims" of slavery.

I sure as hell ain't apologizing to anyone who's black today for it. They didn't suffer from it, and I didn't cause it.

Case closed.

Africa had a rendezvous with history," said Amina Mohamed, the Kenyan mediator in the talks. "We have an agreement on a document that is far from satisfactory, is terribly imperfect, but that provides a basis to build on, and I think, for the first time, the dignity of the black man has been recognized."

Perhaps this black man should start by making reparations to the African-American population by selling their own countrymen in the first place!

I think it may get to the point where we will quit the UN

Quit? I say throw all their sorry butts into the Atlantic, tell 'em to swim for home (and let them know that they will be summarily tried, convicted and jailed for "crimes against humanity" should they try returning to our shores) then knock down that sorry piece of shat called the U.N. Building.

Funny how the U.N. and their "delegates" come here, live like kings FOR FREE while people in their own homelands suffer at the oppression of the very governments that are causing turmoil, world dis-harmony etc.. etc.. etc.. then have the NERVE to tell the U.S. what to do!

I hate every single one of those sorry b@stards.

What is difficult for Americans to understand is that the Europeans, who used to rule the world but are now second-rate powers, and the Canadians actually take these conferences seriously. It gives them a chance to feel important.

>>What is difficult for Americans to understand is that the Europeans, who used to rule the world but are now second-rate powers, and the Canadians actually take these conferences seriously. It gives them a chance to feel important<<

And to try to get on the good side of the third world hordes which are threatening to overwhelm their precious socialist low-production, high-benefit societies.

The EU in particular may well become our mortal enemy, leading a planetary army to enforce UN "decisions" against us.

Durban was the first shot in a new battle.

The hypocrisy was so thick at Durban that you could have cut it with a knife. Sudan was an invited guest? Why didn't they invite a KKK delegation as well? Oh, they did, after all, the arab states were invited. They invented the slave trade.

This was nothing but a bash-the-evil-white-greedy-capitalist-American fest.

Another pathetic attempt by the globalists to make Americans feel sorry for problems we did not create.

""Africa had a rendezvous with history," said Amina Mohamed, the Kenyan mediator in the talks. "

A stupid UN conference is a "rendezvous with history"??? These guys have their priorities completely out of whack.

"Despite the fact that the text expresses concern about the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation, it failed to condemn the discriminatory policies and practices of Israel," according to a statement by Organization of Islamic Conference.

The hypocrisy of the Islamic Conference, representing a host of countries with massive human rights problems, is so blatant and so profound that this statement by them ranks as one of the more infamous statements of all time.

It was really just the

"WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST WHITEY"

Without "whitey", they would still all be living in mud huts, eating each other, and dying by age 35.

If Mugabe ethnically cleanses Zimbabwe of all Whites,this may become the case in that country within a few years.Hopefulley he will soon be taking a dirt nap.This conference had about as much importance and credibility as the dayroom activities in the local mental institution.

This conference had about as much importance and credibility as the dayroom activities in the local mental institution.

Seen from the POV of a sane man, yes. But with the lunatics in charge of the asylum, it is more than that.

Hell, Switzerland never joined the UN or the EU, and they've always done fine, in my book. Hell, I might just start brushing up on my German again and go move there.

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