The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Monday calling for the full implementation of the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, despite objections citing the text’s alleged promotion of antisemitism and hostility toward Israel. The draft resolution (A/81/L.4) was approved with 95 votes in favor, five against, and 37 abstentions.

Countries opposing the resolution were Argentina, Australia, Canada, Micronesia, and Israel. Several European nations, including the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Italy, as well as New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and multiple European Union members, chose to abstain.

The resolution emphasizes a comprehensive approach to combating racism, focusing on reparatory justice, national anti-racism strategies, and protections against racial profiling and systemic bias embedded within modern technologies. It also calls for follow-up measures to ensure continued progress under the auspices of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA).

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, strongly criticized the resolution, describing it as an effort to legitimize a conference widely regarded as fostering antisemitism. He recalled that the original 2001 Durban World Conference Against Racism, held in South Africa, became marred by the circulation of images of Adolf Hitler, physical assaults on Jewish participants, and the equating of Zionism with racism. Danon noted that this year’s event included language from Iran’s representative labeling Zionism a “doctrine of supremacy.”

“The Durban Conference was supposed to combat racism but instead became a platform for antisemitism and hatred of Israel,” Danon said. “25 years later, the United Nations continues to celebrate this disgrace and attempts to rewrite history.” He urged for the removal of what he called “this stain from the United Nations once and for all,” rejecting the resolution’s attempt to reaffirm the Durban Declaration in its entirety under the pretext of fighting racism.

The 2001 Durban Conference remains controversial, having faced a boycott by both Israel and the United States midway through the event. Ambassador Mike Waltz of the United States reiterated that the U.S. once again protested by walking out, consistent with its stance during the original conference.

At the time, Jewish attendees endured harassment, and antisemitic materials such as “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” were widely distributed. The conference has since been associated with the rise of anti-Zionist narratives and is frequently cited as a turning point in modern anti-Israel rhetoric. The NGO Forum held prior to the main conference featured thousands of participants who reportedly coordinated anti-Israel strategies, popularizing terms such as “genocide,” “war crimes,” and “apartheid” in the context of Israeli policies.

While the updated resolution does not explicitly mention Israel, the country objects to the reaffirmation of the 2001 Durban Declaration, arguing that Israel is the sole nation implicitly targeted in the original document. The vote marks a continuation of the longstanding divide within the international community regarding the legacy and impact of the Durban Conference and its associated declarations.