GENEVA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Close international cooperation is needed to fight all forms of racism and racial discrimination, which is the enemy of the whole human society, a senior Chinese diplomat said here on Wednesday. China proposes that the international community work closely together to form a strong united front in the fight against racism, said Li Baodong, Chinese ambassador to the United Nations Office in Geneva, in an address to the ongoing Durban Review Conference.
Governments should fully recognize the huge damage that racism has caused to various human rights, international security and human development, and pursue actively the policy of zero tolerance at both the national and international level, Li told more than 100 delegations participating at the anti-racism conference.
The five-day conference, which opened on Monday, is a follow-up meeting to the World Conference against Racism held in Durban, South Africa in 2001.
Delegates adopted by consensus a final anti-racism declaration on Tuesday despite the boycott of the meeting by quite a few Western countries, including the United States, citing concerns that the meeting could be used as a forum to criticize Israel.
The atmosphere of the conference was also damaged on Monday after dozens of European delegates walked out of the conference room in protest to a speech made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which likened Israel to a racist regime.
According to the Chinese ambassador, countries should enhance dialog and communications to resolve political differences and refrain from creating a breeding ground for hatred.
It's of great significance that countries have gathered once again to deliberate on the issue of racism eight years after the holding of the first UN anti-racism conference, he said.
Li also stressed the need to further enhance the effectiveness of various mechanisms established after the 2001 conference to address racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, with a view to achieving better synergy, coordination, coherence and complementarity in their work.
In addition, he suggested a renewal or reinforcement of the international definition for racism, as many new forms of racism and racial discrimination are emerging along with the current global financial, food and energy crises as well as the threat of climate change.
The Chinese government is against all forms of racism, and it has been actively engaged in various international anti-racist activities, Li said.
With the opportunity provided by this conference, China is ready to work will all governments and the civil society to create a world free of discrimination, hatred, fear and prejudice, he added.