Intensive talks were underway last night to rescue the UN world conference against racism from collapse. Diplomatic efforts were focused on bridging differences between African states and the west over slavery and colonialism.
Optimism earlier in the day gave way to caution after last minute revisions to a proposed wording by African states on text to be adopted by the conference proved unacceptable to former colonial powers, particularly Britain.
The ongoing divisions over these issues have severely damaged the credibility of the global gathering which had been intended to produce a landmark global charter to fight racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Two previous world conferences against racism in 1978 and 1983 ended in failure and did not produce credible documents. References to the Middle East, which were the main sticking points for the conference earlier in the week, appeared to be close to resolution last night.
Diplomatic sources said they expected that western and Arab blocs would not allow the gathering to founder on the issue which caused the damaging walk-out of the Israeli and US delegations on Monday. This was in protest at "hateful" references in early draft conference documents to Israel's "racist" treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories. These controversial references were later purged from the working drafts. New draft text was prepared which instead expresses concern for the "plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation".
It was expected that states would not agree to draft text for either the Middle East or the slavery/colonialism issue until both were resolved.
Mrs Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and chair of the Durban conference, was last night involved in the eleventh-hour negotiations with the South African foreign minister and the conference's president, Dr Nkosazana Dlamina-Zuma.
A diplomatic source said last night that "everything is still alive. There is still a 60 to 40 chance of success."
The conference had been scheduled to conclude yesterday, but it was expected to continue into the early hours of today. As midnight approached the UN rescheduled the final plenary session, originally timetabled for 4p.m Friday to anywhere between 9 a.m and noon Irish time today.
The Belgian Foreign Minister Mr Louis Michel told a press conference last night that "last minute negotiations were very difficult". Mr Michel is negotiating on behalf of the European Union as his country holds the EU presidency.
Earlier yesterday, it had appeared that matters were close to being resolved. A source close to Mary Robinson said an agreement was "tantalisingly close".
A compromise text on the issue of slavery and colonialism fell short of the outright apology which African states has sought from Western countries. The EU led by former colonial states, has taken a firm line against apologising for slavery out of fear this action could lead to compensation claims.