US skips racism forum over language to be used in Palestinian-Israeli issue

Washington: The US announced it will boycott the United Nations Conference Against Racism this week on concerns over language to be used in relation to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, while Iran's leader was challenged to end racism in the country.

Dutch foreign minister Maxime Verhagen also said on Sunday he is boycotting the anti-racism conference because some nations are using it as a platform to attack the West.

"The anti-racism conference is too important to abuse for political goals and attacks on the West," he said. "The Netherlands will not be a part of it."

References to Israel and reparations for slavery were cut last month from the draft declaration to entice participation from the US and European Union, whose envoys also objected to expressions of concern about defamation of religions.

The review outcome document still contains objectionable references, a statement from the US State Department said.

"The DDPA singles out one particular conflict and prejudges key issues that can only be resolved in negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians," acting US State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood said in the statement.

"The United States also has concerns with relatively new additions to the text regarding 'incitement,' that run counter to the US commitment to unfettered free speech," Wood said.

The US will still work with other nations and the UN to fight every type of discrimination, the statement added.

Israel criticised the controversial UN conference, calling it a "tragic farce" because Iran is invited.

"Officially it is aimed at denouncing racism, but it has invited a Holocaust denier who has called for the destruction of Israel," said Israeli foreign ministry spokeman Yossi Levy.

Ahead of his arrival at the conference, Ahmadinejad was met by challenges from a human rights group to eliminate severe discrimination against women and ethnic minorities in Iran.

"His first move on returning home, then, should be to address the severe discrimination and persecution that have flourished under his tenure," said Diane Alai of the Baha'i International Community.