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Ludford tells EU "don't be wimps over racism conference"
August 31, 2001 12:00 AM
Baroness Sarah Ludford, Liberal Democrat MEP for London and anti-racism rapporteur for the European Parliament, has called on the European Union to step out of the shadow of the US at the UN World Conference against Racism and take a bold leadership role which bridges the extreme positions. She has deplored the EU failure to be represented at high level, with the laudable exception of the Liberal-led government of Belgium, which is represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Louis Michel.
"The EU must stop being wimpish and start offering leadership to ensure consensus so that this vital UN conference succeeds in putting race equality and respect for diversity at the top of the agenda for the third millennium."
Baroness Ludford has requested that European Commissioner for Justice & Home Affairs, Antonio Vitorino, steps into the gap left by the last-minute absence from the conference of Commissioner for Social Affairs, Anna Diamantopoulou.
"Otherwise, coupled with the deplorable decision of most EU states - including the UK - to be represented here only at junior ministerial level, the EU is signalling that tackling race discrimination, inequality, and injustice is low on its list of priorities.
"In fact, the EU has a good track record now on these issues, as well as trade and development. The absence from the conference of the US gives us an opportunity we should seize with both hands to be forthright in offering international leadership for a way forward.
"We should be fighting hard with political skill to prevent deadlock over the issue of apology, compensation, or reparations for slavery and colonialism, as well as over the Israeli/Palestinian issue. The real losers if we fail are the billions of people world-wide who get shabby treatment, or worse, because of their ethnic or religious identity."
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