"I am shocked and deeply disappointed by the United States decision not to attend a conference that aims to combat racism, xenophobia, racial discrimination and other forms of intolerance worldwide," said Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights.
The five-day Durban Review Conference aims to evaluate progress toward the goals set by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa in 2001.
But the United States and several other Western countries have announced their decision to boycott the conference out of so-called "concerns" that it could be used as a forum for anti-Semitism and result in limiting free speech.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/20/content_11217644.htm
