Prasquier recalled the statement made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to over 1,000 guests attending the annual dinner of CRIF last February in Paris. President Sarkozy said, “The Durban conference in 2001 led to intolerable excesses from certain states and numerous NGOs that turned the conference into a forum against Israel, and no one has forgotten. France will not allow a repetition of the excesses and abuses of 2001. Our European partners share France’s concerns. France will chair the EU in the final months preceding the review conference. I say to you: if ever our legitimate demands are not taken into account, we will disengage from the process.”
The UN will host a follow-up conference with the declared purpose of evaluating progress on the commitments reached at Durban in 2001. Headed by Libya, the preparations for the Durban Review Conference, also known as Durban II, already show signs of following in the steps of its discredited predecessor, according to observers.
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