Formal title - "World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance". A UN-sponsored conference held in Durban, South Africa from August 31st to September 7th, 2001.
Before it even began, the conference had sparked controversy by equating Zionism with racism, and held up Israel as an example of a racist occupying power. A draft declaration also included support of reparations for slavery. These and other factors led the United States and Canada to effectively boycott the conference, sending only low-level delegations.
The usual protests that accompany global scale conferences materialized as expected, with over 10,000 anti-US and anti-Israel activists scuffling with police at one point. Fidel Castro, attending the conference, took the opportunity to champion the cause of the African states demanding slavery reparations, and promoted the cause of the Palestinians in Israel.
Delegations from 166 countries attended the conference, although many from North America and western Europe consisted mainly of junior diplomats there in an observational role.
The conference's official website is http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/. It has copies of the agenda, declarations, background information, and more. | 
