UN anti-racism conference divided

Geneva: The United Nations opens its first global anti-racism conference in eight years on Monday with the US and at least seven other countries boycotting the event out of concern that Islamic countries will demand that it denounce Israel and ban criticism of Islam.

The administration of US President Barack Obama announced on Saturday that it would boycott the weeklong meeting in Geneva on concerns over language to be used in relation to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

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," Israeli foreign ministry spokeman Yossi Levy said on Sunday.

Ahead of the conference, human rights groups challenged Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to end 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.

The conference has stirred much controversy, with many other countries announcing they would boycott the event, namely The Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Israel and Italy.

The French foreign minister said his country's ambassador to Geneva would attend, but would walk out "immediately" if the conference turned into a platform for racist comments against Israel. Britain had earlier said it would attend.