South Africa
21.08.01
Urgent Interventions

OMCT's participation in the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR)

The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in Durban:
Participation in the third World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR)

From August 28th to September 7th, 2001

Activities and Contributions


Within the framework of its Racism Programme, OMCT has actively participated in the preparation of the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR). The Conference is to take place from August 31st to September 7th, 2001 in Durban, South Africa, and OMCT will be represented there by Eric Sottas (Director) and Elsa Le Pennec (Program Officer).

OMCT will firstly take part first in the NGO Forum http://www.racism.org.za/index.html, from August 28th, to September 1st, before attending the Intergovernmental World Conference against Racismhttp://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/index.htm.

In view of this conference, OMCT has prepared a report entitled: "Racism and Torture: From national preference to inter-ethnic violence". Through this report, OMCT would like to highlight the link between discriminatory practices and torture, which is not, in its opinion, sufficiently underlined and denounced in the draft Program of Action. OMCT’s report focuses on the situation of the most vulnerable groups in each society such as ethnic, national, linguistic or religious minorities, indigenous peoples, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, including unaccompanied children.

OMCT also took part in the creation of the International Criminal Justice Caucus during the Second PrepCom meeting in May 2001 in Geneva, in view of promoting the incorporation of measures relating to the criminal justice and prison systems in the final documents of the World Conference. Several issues are of particular concern to the Caucus, including: racial profiling, racial discrimination in the application of the death penalty, use of excessive force by law enforcement officers, and the protection of children within the criminal justice systems.

Please click here to see the ICJC'sPOSITIONPAPERor the ICJC'sRECOMMENDEDAMENDMENTS.

OMCT will continue its action in Durban and will let you know about the progress of the Conference through regular updates on thiswebsite, which can be found by clicking on the links below:

UPDATES:

TheWCAR Condones Racism in the Death Penalty and Criminal Justice Systems

OMCTproposed language for the WCAR draft programme of action

WCAR: OMCT Plenary speech inDurban

WCAR: International Criminal Justice Plenary speech in Durban