Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates -

Allow me first of all to extend our best wishes to you on your assumption of the Chair as well as to the Vice-Chairpersons and the rapporteur on their election.  I would also like to take this opportunity to express the Philippine delegation's profound appreciation to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its warm hospitality and excellent arrangements for this conference.

We also express appreciation to Madame Mary Robinson and her team for all their efforts in preparing for a successful and fruitful World Conference on the subject.

Mr. Chairman,

 More than fifty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on the eve of the third World Conference on racism, the world is still confronted by the scourge of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.  In fact, the plague we sought to stump out decades ago has shown not only remarkable resilience and virulence, but also the ability to mutate, take new forms and find new carriers for transmitting the infection to innocent minds.

It is sad to note that the technological and information revolutions that offer promises of a better life for all also provide the means for propagating the disease.  Hundreds of sites in the Internet are promoting racial hatred and intolerance.  If we care, then we should dare to confront this menace squarely, and pay particular attention to the need for a code of conduct that would make the Internet unfriendly to those who seek to corrupt minds and undermine cherished human values.  In addressing this problem, we have to take into account the concerns expressed with respect to freedoms of speech, expression and belief.  Nevertheless, it would be useful to keep in mind Article 20 (2) of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights which states: "Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law."

Mr. Chairman,

The seeds of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance will not take root where there is no fertile ground or receptive minds.  We therefore need to stress the importance of education in programmes for the eradication of all forms of racism and related intolerance.  We need to teach our children not only that they have rights and freedoms but also that their rights and freedoms can only flourish in a world where everybody respects the rights and freedoms of others.  Moreover, our children must learn to appreciate the richness and diversity of the world's cultures and peoples.  Finally, we need to imprint in their minds the importance of tolerance and respect for all human beings, the virtues of peace and non-violence, and the need for compassion for those who are less privileged in life.  It is with these in mind that we fully endorse the United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace as well as the objectives of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010).

I also take this opportunity to warmly congratulate the Islamic Republic of Iran for the successful hosting of the Conference on Dialogue Among Civilizations.  This undertaking, we believe, will contribute greatly not only to better understanding among peoples of the world, but also to greater appreciation of the world's cultural diversity that is everybody's heritage.

Mr. Chairman,

Globalization has placed various minority groups under severe threat from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.  Among them are migrant workers, indigenous groups, and women and children.

With respect to migrant workers, it is widely acknowledged that they bring various benefits to both the country of origin and country of destination.  Indeed, migrant workers have contributed to the wealth of many of today's developed countries.  They do not deserve the racist and xenophobic discrimination, indignities and assaults that many of them are subjected to.  We therefore stress the need for a fair, just and equitable treatment to them in the society and the place of work where they find themselves in.

To enhance international protection of the rights of migrant workers, particularly women migrant workers who are most vulnerable to discrimination and indignities, we invite other countries to consider signing and ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.  We also urge all countries to fully respect and comply with the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, particularly where it relates to the right of foreign nationals, regardless of immigration status, to communicate with a consular officer of their own State in the event of arrest or detention.

Mr. Chairman,

 In many parts of the world, indigenous populations are historic victims of racism and racial discrimination and as a result their way of life and very existence are under serious threat.  We wish to note that we are within the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People and, therefore, extra efforts should be taken to correct the historic wrong done to them through international and national recognition of their rights and special needs.  In the case of the Philippines, our law recognizes indigenous peoples' rights to their ancestral lands and domains, including natural resources found therein.  We also recognize indigenous right to self-governance and the need for empowerment as well as respect for the integrity of traditional value systems, practices and institutions.

 We welcome the creation of the Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues within the United Nations system in accordance with the vision contained in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.  It is our hope that this forum will serve as an instrument for the close examination of issues and problems that would lead to formulation of concrete programmes to protect the rights and promote the welfare of indigenous populations worldwide.

Mr. Chairman,

 The world community must also give special attention to the problem and needs of women and children, particularly those who are victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.  Women and children, whether migrant, indigenous, refugee or victim of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, are the most vulnerable to multiple forms of discrimination and therefore the ones to suffer most from acts and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.  Special programmes for women and children need to be developed within the programmes for each vulnerable groups.

 The Philippines views with concern the growth of the global sex industry, as propagated by transnational organized crime networks and others that profit illegally from international trafficking in women and children.  For a long time, these criminal organizations have been operating almost with impunity as they keep one step ahead of the law in their use of new information technologies, including the Internet, to facilitate their activities of prostitution, child pornography, trafficking in women as brides, and sex tourism.  We hail the adoption in New York in May 2000 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, as well as in Palermo in December of the same year of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its two protocols, particularly the one relating to the suppression, prevention and punishment of trafficking persons, particularly women and children.

 The Philippines sees the necessity to combat multiple discrimination.  The gender-related dimensions of racial discrimination was made clear in the General Recommendations XXV adopted by the Commission on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in March 2000, as well as in recent resolutions concerning racial discrimination recently adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.  Efforts to combat this kind of discrimination against women, while treated separately in the Commission on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the CERD, need to be tackled expressly and should be consolidated for greater effectiveness.

Mr. Chairman,

 As an archipelagic state situated in the crossroads of the Pacific Ocean, the China Sea and the Indian Ocean, the Philippines has been open to outside influences throughout its history.  In fact, the nation was forged as a result of successive waves of migration from both continental and insular Asia, as well as a result of its exposure to European and American colonial rule for more than 500 years, it is this rich multicultural background -- often taken for granted by Filipinos -- that enhances the vitality of the Philippines as a nation.  As such, contemporary Philippine experience has been largely free of the kind of virulent racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia seen in other countries and regions.

 This, however, does not mean that we are immune or insulated from issues and problems related to racism and racial discrimination, or the wider rubric of related intolerance, especially in this era of globalization.  Indeed, very few societies, if at all, can make a legitimate claim to have completely rid themselves of all exclusionary, discriminatory or preferential practices on the basis of race, language, color, culture, religion, national or ethnic origin.  Accordingly, we should look for solutions to the problem that apply to and benefit all countries, and that address the practice of any and all forms of racial and religious discrimination, comprehension solution and not just of particular violations committed by certain States.
 
 Equally the persistence of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other intolerance calls for a more innovative approach and perspective than we have accorded it in the past.  In aid of this, we support the broad involvement and active participation of civil society, especially NGOs, communities and the youth, in educating and mobilizing people from the grassroots level for the protection of the human rights and fundamental freedom as well as upholding the dignity of particularly vulnerable groups.  The success of all our efforts should also be premised on the consideration of the opinions and demands of the victims of discrimination.

 We also laud international and regional efforts at bridging racial divides, such as the initiative by the host country to promote a dialogue among cultures and civilizations as a means to foster a culture of tolerance and respect for diversity through cooperation and mutual enrichment in various fields of human endeavor.

 It is in the spirit of such efforts and of the Visionary Declaration that my delegation joins all the participants of this Conference in affirming the dynamic solidarity of the one human family.  We close by reiterating a portion of the Visionary Declaration appealing to all of us to realize and accept that diversity is a gift that would enable us to achieve our fullest potential as human beings, if only we would allow it to.  That portion states:
 
"Instead of allowing diversity of race and culture to become a limiting factor in human exchange and development, we must refocus our understanding and discern in such diversity the potential for mutual enrichment, and realize that it is the interchange between great traditions of human spirituality that offers the best prospect for the persistence of the human spirit itself."

Thank you and good afternoon.

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