WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com)�The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has formed a task force to educate the American public about the importance of the upcoming UN World Conference Against Racism.

The task force will hold a roundtable discussion on the issue June 19, where it hopes to further conference objectives of establishing ways to combat contemporary forms of racism and intolerance. It also hopes to tackle the challenge of ensuring the world body has financial and other necessary resources to execute the strategies once ratified.

The World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) is slated for Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 2001 in Durban, South Africa. Sponsored by the United Nations, it is the third such UN conference on the issue.

However, talks of a threatened U.S. boycott of the summit have alarmed governments worldwide, particularly since the alleged U.S. objection concerns talks regarding reparations for Africans and U.S. descendants of Africa brought into slavery.

Although, the U.S. has not officially responded to the allegations against her, the impact of a U.S. government boycott has reached not only the ears of Black America leadership but has been felt the world over.

"Repeated threats by the United States to boycott the Conference are destructive to both the World Conference process and to the image of the United States as a nation committed to the struggle against racial discrimination," stated a May 23 open letter written to U.S. President George W. Bush by the CBC.

"The World Conference presents a historic opportunity for the members of the world community to discuss the enduring impact of racism on millions of people across the globe, while providing a forum for real steps to be taken on a global level to help eradicate the scourge of racial discrimination worldwide. By virtue of both this country�s unique experience with racism and our leadership role in the international community, the United States must play a central role in ensuring that the World Conference achieves its important objectives," it continued.

Boycott threats are additionally alarming because the official Bureau membership of the conference, which serves as the executive committee over the PrepCom discussions (preliminary confabs leading up to WCAR) and the Conference itself, includes the United States government.

The Bureau is comprised of representatives from 10 governments, two from each of the five UN regional groups (Africa; Asia; Eastern Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; Western Europe and other states). Bureau members for this conference are Senegal, Tunisia, Iran, Malaysia, Georgia, Macedonia, Brazil, Mexico, France and the United States. Host country South Africa serves as an "ex officio member" of the Bureau.

"I can foresee no acceptable reason this country can offer for non-participation in such an important global conference," Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) told The Final Call. "Racism has existed as one of humanity�s most destructive ills. To boycott WCAR would be denying the citizens of this country, many of whom suffer daily as a result of racism and intolerance," she said.

The CBC task force consists of Reps. McKinney, Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), John Conyers (D-Mich.), Donald Payne (D-N.J.), Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.), Julia Carson (D-Ind.) and Barbara Lee (D-Ca.).

Mary Robinson, the outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has been designated secretary-general of WCAR and Jose L. Gomez Del Prado is the senior coordinator of WCAR�s Secretariat, based in Geneva, Switzerland.