UN rights chief shocked by U.S. boycott of anti-racism conference

   GENEVA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations' top human rights official said on Sunday she deeply regretted the decision by the United States to boycott a major UN anti-racism conference to be convened in Geneva on Monday.

    "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