China offered three recommendations to eliminate racism at the 61st annual session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on Monday, as the commission began its general debate on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination.

La Yifan, alternative representative of the Chinese delegation to the commission, said that Western countries' inadequate recognition of the harm of racism and their lukewarm measures against it are the fundamental causes of its spread.

"Second, while helping the developing countries to reduce poverty and making an effort to narrow the gap between rich and poor, the international community should also strongly advocate racial equality and harmony as well as dialogue between different civilizations," he added.

La also called on the United Nations to strengthen its fight against racism.

La expressed extreme disappointment and regret that nearly four years after the World Conference Against Racism, instead of being checked, racism had been manifested with increasing frequency and in new forms.

Without resolute countermeasures, said La, extreme forms of racism such as new theories of racial superiority, neo-nazism and neo-fascism would once again move to the fore, bringing calamity to mankind.

Several speakers at the session -- including representatives speaking on behalf of the EU, Arab, African and Latin American nations -- discussed issues related to the continued responsibility of states to take measures against racism and racial discrimination at the national level and the need to fully fund and support related mechanisms.

Also discussed was the importance of ratifying and implementing the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2005)