[Ed. Note: This statement was made at the fifth annual meeting of the Asian Pacific Forum of Human Rights Institutions held in August 2000, in Rotorua, New Zealand.]

Twenty-four NGOs gathered here welcome the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The massive problems involved in discrimination in the Asia-Pacific region need to find expression during this world conference. It can build a world consensus to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination and contribute to mutual understanding and goodwill among the peoples.

In reviewing the preparations for this conference, there are several matters of concern that the NGOs wish to bring to the notice of this conference. As you know, the first preparatory committee meeting of the conference was held in May 2000. Prior to that a consultative meeting was held at Bellagio, Italy. (This was also attended by several NGO leaders from various parts of the world.) From this meeting, a statement was issued under the title 'The Bellagio Statement.' This statement made a comprehensive set of recommendations for the world conference. Unfortunately, the PrepCom meeting ignored most of these recommendations and its own statement is one of a very general nature. If the World Conference on Racism is to produce guidelines for the resolution of conflict related to the themes of the conference, then the conference must look in more detail at the actual problems confronted by millions of people throughout the world.

The preparatory work for the conference takes place by way of experts meetings and regional meetings. The European experts meeting has already been held, and a set of recommendations have been developed. However, we note that although the next experts meeting is to be held in Bangkok by the end of this month very few preparations have taken place. What is more disturbing is that the conference theme has been limited to migration and the trafficking of women. While we support strongly the inclusion of these two themes, we are worried about the exclusion of many other vital issues related to racism in the Asia-Pacific region Ða region in which more than half of the world's population lives.

We specifically wish to draw attention to the following issues:

• Identify specific forms of racism. This forum should identify specific forms of racism in the Asia-Pacific region and find ways to advise the governments of the region about these issues;
• The caste system in South Asia with specific reference to the Dalits of India (the former 'untouchables'). Two hundred million people of India belong to a category called Dalits who have been deprived of their human rights for thousands of years. The Indian Constitution made some attempt to deal with this issue. However, given the enormity of the problem, such redress has not eradicated this most inhuman form of discrimination. While apartheid can be considered a partial form of exclusion, the discrimination of Dalits constitutes complete exclusion. It is time that Asia attends to its obligation to these people;
• Indigenous people's rights;
• Minority people's rights;
• Migration within and outside of Asia;
• The representation and full involvement of national human rights institutions at both PrepCom meetings (of the World Conference against Racism) and regional meetings and seminars;
• The full participation of NGOs in all PrepCom meetings of the World Conference against Racism should be ensured;
• Adequate representation of minority and indigenous people;
• We would like human rights commissions to review the adequacy, or otherwise, of various forms of redress used in the pastÐe.g., affirmative action Ðand make recommendations for further improvements;
• A much wider consultative process within Asia should take place so as to identify a specific role for the forum secretariateÐthe attention given to this conference so far has been insufficient and must be addressed;
• The education section of the back-ground paper needs to include anti-racism programmes specifically for schools so that children receive this education from a young age when their values and beliefs are most vulnerable to impression.