URUGUAY

SPEECH BY THE

MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF THE
ORIENTAL REPUBLIC OF URUGUAY
DR. ANTONIO MERCADER

WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION,
XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE

DURBAN,

6 SEPTEMBER 2001

MR. PRESIDENT
DELEGATES
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

FIRST OF ALL, TIME URUGUAYAN DELEGATION WOULD LIKE T() EXPRESS ITS CONDOLENCES TO PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI FOR THE LOSS OF HIS FATHER.

SECOND, THF DELEGATION WOULD LIKE TO GREET DR. ZUMA, AND CONGRATULATE HER FOR HER ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF THIS CONFERENCE. THROUGH HER WE COMMEND THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT AND ITS PEOPLE, AND IDENTIFY 13U R ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO FIGHT ALL FORMS AND EXPRESSIONS OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATIONlS, XENOPHOBIA AND OTHER RELATED INTOLERANCE.

AS A LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRY, URUGUAY HAS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN THE PREPARATORY EVENTS FOR THIS WORLD CONFERENCE. IN THESE EVENTS, WE HAVE CONFIRMED THE BACK BONE PRINCIPLES THAT PRESENT THE BASIS OF OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PROBLEMS THAT ACE THIS MEETING. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMARK THAT THIS CONFERENCE HAS, AS A MAIN OBJECTIVE, TO FACE THE CHALLENGES THAT RACISM ANT, ITS MULTIPLE CONTEMPORARY EXPRESSIONS INFLICT. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIRE TO REMARK ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DOCUMENT APPROVED IN SANTIAGO DE CHILE, BY THE AMERICAN COUNTRIES, DOCUMENT THAT FROM NOW ON, SHOULD BE OUR GUIDE AND REFERENCE.

THIS FORUM IS A GOOD PLACE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO MAKE A POSITIVE UNITED EFFORT TOWARDS THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS TO WORLD WIDE PROBLEMS, THAT AFFECT ALL OF US. ON THE OTHER HAND IT IS NOT THE BEST PLACE TO TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUAL CASES THAT MAKE REFERENCE TO CONCRETE SITUATIONS, AND MAKE US FORGET THE GREATER OBJECTIVES FOR WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GATHERED HERE.

IN THIS WAY, URUGUAY HAS SUMMED UP, BEFORE ARRIVING IN DURBAN, A SIGNIFICANT EFFORT OF COORDINATION ,AND APPROACH AMONG ALL SOCIAL LEVELS. WITH THE PARTICULAR DRIVE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, WE HAVE ALL MADE CONCESSIONS IN ORDER TO REACH A COMMON DOCUMENT THAT WE PRESENT TODAY, WHICH REPRESENTS THE POSITION C )F THE URUGUAYAN SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. IN THIS MANNER, STATE AND SOCIETY PRESENT BEFORE YOU A SINGLE POSITION THAT REFLECTS THE NATIONAL SENTIMENT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THIS SCOURGE, WHICH IS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE CONFERENCE.

THIS IS EVIDENT BY THE INCLUSION IN THE OFFICIAL URUGUAYAN DELEGATION, OF DELEGATES OF THE ONG COORDINATOR AGAINST RACISM, MADE UP OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE Potentially VULNERABLE GROUPS IN OUR COUNTRY.

FOR THIS REASON WE CAN AFFIRM THAT WE BRING A COMMON DOCUMENT AND POSITION THAT REPRESENT THE SENTIMENTS O F THE PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF URUGUAY. FROM THIS DEMOCRATICALLY DRAWN DOCUMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:

FIRST, THE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS THE CIVIL SOCIETY, CONVERGE AT POINTING THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE HUMAN CONDITION WITHOUT DISTINCTIONS BASED ON' RACE, RELIGION, NATIONALITY, ETHNIC ORIGIN, LANGUAGE, GENDER AND POLITICAL OPINIONS, ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, WHICH CONSTITUTES A LEGAL AND ETHICAL MANDATE, ULTIMATE DRIVE OF THIS CONFERENCE IN DURBAN.

WE ARE CONVINCED THAT DEMOCRACY IS THE ONLY POLITI CAL SYSTEM, WHICH ALLOWS RESPECT AND ENJOYMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO ALL INDIVIDUALS, OVERCOMING ANY DIFFERENCES THAT EXIST AMONG THEM. FOR THIS REASON WE PROCLAIM THE, INDISSOLUBLE TIE BETWEEN' THE AFFIRMATION OF DEMOCRACY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST RACISM.

WE CONCEIVE THE MULTICULTURAL AND MULTI-ETHNICAL DIVERSITY AS AN ENRICHING FACTOR AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BECAUSE OF THIS FACTOR, THE COMMUNITIES OF MIGRANTS, AFRICAN DESCENDANTS AND INDIGENOUS DESCENDANTS, HAVE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TOWARDS THE FORMATION OF THE URUGUAYAN SOCIETY THAT WE HAVE ALL BUILT TOGETHER.

THESE COMMUNITIES ARE PART OF OUR ANCESTORS, AND NEW GENERATIONS OWE THEM: RESPECT, DEFERENCE AND RECOGNITION.

FURTHER TO THESE GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS, URUGUAY WANTS TO REMARK ON THE ROLL OF EDUCATION IN THE PROMOTION OF THE VALUES OF TOLERANCE.

SINCE PREJUDICE, RACIAL. HA'I'RED AND OTHER NEGATIVE TENDENCIES, ARE BORN IN THE MIND OF THE PEOPLE, IT IS HERE WHERE, FROM A YOUNG AGE, THE FIGHT AGAINST ANTAGONISTIC FEELINGS MUST BEGIN. THE LESSONS ABOUT DEMOCRACY,

EQUALITY, AND PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE WITH PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT ORIENTATIONS, START FROM SCHOOL. WE MUST NOT FORGET IT, AS EDUCATION BECOMES THE INSTRUMFNT MOST ADEQUATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND OTHER RE' LATE D AFFLICTIONS.

WITH A SOUND EDUCATION AND THE RIGHT VALUES, THE NEW GENERATION WILL BE EQUIPPED TO CARRY OUT WHAT WE HAVE LEFT UNRESOLVED. FOR THIS REASON, WE HAVE THE HISTORIC; AL RESPONSIBILITY TO P +VENT AND PROTECT CHILDREN AND YOUTH ALIKE, FROM THE APPEARANCE OF NEW WAYS OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE.

THIS TASK MUST BE MET, NOT ONLY BY THE EDUCATIO NAL SYSTEM, BUT ALSO BY THE PERMANENT PROMOTION OF POSITIVE VALUES IN THE CORE OF THE FAMILY AND SOCIETY IN GENERAL. IN THIS FASHION, WE, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND LEADERS OF ALL COMMUNITIES, HAVE, AS OUR FIRST DUTY, TO PREACH WITH OUR R OWN CONDUCT. IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ACT AS WE PREACH, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PERSUADE OTHERS.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

THERE IS NO COUNTRY EXEMPT FROM THE SCOURGE THAT UNITE US HERE TODAY, THEREFORE IT IS NECESSARY TO ADOPT AT NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, POLICIES 1)F AFFIRMATIVE ACTION THAT ALLOW US TO COMPENSATE THE CURRENT SOCIAL INEQUALITIES AND POVERTY THAT AFFECT PARTICULARLY THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS.

TODAY IT IS POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY NEW FORMS OF RACISM, SOMETIMES MORE EVIDENT, OTHER TIMES MORE SUE ~TLJE, SUBSEQUENTLY IT IS IMPERATIVE TO REACT AND ATTACK THESE EXPRESSIONS IN A UNITED FRONT. THIS CONFERENCE BY MEANS OF ITS DECLARATION AND PLAN OF ACTION, PRESENTS A HISTORICAL OPPORTUNITY THAT WE MUST NOT WASTE.
THE ORIENTAL REPUBLIC OF URUGUAY HAS ARRIVED IN DURBAN WITH A PURPOSE TO POSITIVELY CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE CONSOLIDATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY TO FIGHT RACISM. AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY HAVE COME TOGETHER TO REACH THIS GOAL. WORKING TOGETHER, UNITED AND IN ACCORD, WE HAVE SUCCEEDED TO ACHIEVE IN O OUR COUNTRY THE NECESSARY CONSENSUS THAT IS THE STARTING POINT FOR NEW AND DECISIVE ACTIONS IN THIS FIELD.

TO ACCEPT THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT, TO VALUE DIVERSITY AND ASSIST THE DIALOGUE AND TO COMPROMISE, EVEN UNDER ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES, IS THE CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE FROM NOW ON, NOT ONLY IN THIS CONFERENCE, BUT ALSO IN OUR OWN COUNTRIES. FOR US, DURBAN IS NOT JUST THE END OF AN EFFORT, BUT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AN IMPORTANT PERIOD.

IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE APPROACH AND FLEXIBILITY TOWARDS DISTANT OR ANTAGONISTIC POSITIONS REQUIRES A SIGNIFICANT DOSE OF DETERMINATION. WE PROPOSE THEN, TO MAKE THE UTMOST EFFORT TO GLOBALISE THESE PRINCIPLES.

WE ARE SURE THAT THIS IS THE SPIRIT THAT MOVES THE GROUPS INTEGRATED IN DRAFTING THE DECLARATION AND PLAN OF ACTION IN DURBAN. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE RESULTS, THE TRUST IN OUR FELLOW MEN AND THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY THE POINTS OF AGREEMENT WITHIN DIVERSITY, ARE FOR US THE ABSOLUTE KEYS FOR A PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE.

IN URUGUAY, A COUNTRY DEEPLY IMMERSED IN THE IDEAL'S OF DEMOCRACY, THE SEARCH FOR PEACE AND HARMONY AMONG THE POPULATION AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES, ALL BELIEFS AND ORIENTATIONS, ARE ENCOURAGED. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CA.N BUILD A BETTER WORLD FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS.