Canada will not attend a United Nations conference on racism next year, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Thursday.
"Our government has lost faith in the Durban process," Kenney told a news conference. "Canada will not participate in this charade. We will not lend our good name to this Durban hatefest.
"Canada is clearly committed to the fight against racism, but the Durban process commemorates an agenda that actually promotes racism rather than combats it."
The New York conference next September, dubbed "Durban III," is intended to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2001 meeting in South Africa aimed at defeating racism.
Canada and other countries walked out of that conference after Iran and several countries began ganging up on Israel.
The conference, which ended days before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, produced the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

Canada won't attend Durban racism 'hatefest,' Kenney calls it 'charade'