Abstract
The Durban Review Conference (DRC) held in Geneva, 20–24 April 2009, marked a return to the controversial 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) held in Durban, South Africa. The outputs of the 2001 conference have been overshadowed by 9/11 and the ‘war on terror’. Civil society has struggled to secure implementation of the commitments made. This article considers the long view of inter-State debates around racism and discusses some key issues that have emerged in the DRC processes. The WCAR follow-up mechanisms are critiqued and the successes of two groups at the WCAR, Afro-descendants and Dalits, are highlighted. The particular focus on the nexus of racism and religious discrimination in the DRC inter-State debates is considered.