Remembering the Durban 400

Led by the United States and Western Europe (WEO), efforts are being made to dilute the contributions of the Durban 400, and others, as we prepare for the Durban Review that will be held in Geneva in April 2009.

These efforts by the United States are aimed at removing the language that the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery were officially declared Crimes Against Humanity at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001.

The Durban 400 was made up of the December 12th Movement International Secretariat and the National Black United Front (NBUF) that were leading participants in the United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), was held in Durban, South Africa from August 31st through September 7, 2001. Because the United States did not agree with many of the issues being raised at this conference, particularly, the push by African people worldwide to declare that the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and Slavery are a Crime Against Humanity and that Reparations are owed to African people in the Diaspora and on the continent of Africa, the United States withdrew their low level delegation and left only the Ambassador to South Africa to represent them.

The role of the United States and Western Europe (WEO) to subvert the agenda “provided the indisputable proof” that the issues we fought for, to be included in the Durban Declaration, went to the “heart of the World Conference Against Racism.” For over two years, representatives from the Durban 400 traveled throughout the world attending the various preparatory meetings for the WCAR, advocating our agenda that was simple and focused: