The Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room of the Palace of Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland. The room is the meeting place of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Photo: Ludovic Courtès via Wikimedia Commons.

Romania became the most recent country boycotting the Durban IV conference taking place on Wednesday, joining a list of a total of 20 nations who have pulled out of the 20th anniversary of the UN event.

“The Durban conference is rotten to its core and any of its follow-up events are the fruits of a poisonous tree — an antisemitic hatefest no matter how noble or important its original goal should not be commemorated except as a tragic error never to be repeated,” said Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan speaking at a Durban IV “counter-conference” on Sunday.

B’nai B’rith International thanked Romania for not taking part in the UN summit marking 20 years since the “notorious” Durban conference calling on other states to follow suit.

The UN is scheduled to hold a special Durban IV event on Sept. 22 to mark the 20th anniversary of the World Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa, from which the US and Israel previously withdrew over objections of anti-Zionism. Israel was singled out from the Durban conference declaration and was depicted as being racist and as committing “crimes against humanity,” “ethnic cleansing,” “apartheid” and “genocide” against the Palestinians.

Ahead of the 20th anniversary event, pro-Israel groups and NGOs have launched a social media campaign to urge nations to pull out of the conference.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement noted that out of the 28 Western countries, 20 have already chosen to boycott the conference.

“We strongly encourage the remaining countries who have adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism to do the same,” the non-partisan movement stated.

Among the countries withdrawing their attendance are Canada, Italy, Germany, Australia, the UK, France, Croatia, Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary. Earlier in September, Slovenia, Slovakia, New Zealand and Greece also joined the list.

“The 2001 Durban conference was a chance for the international community to address racism. Instead, it devolved into an antisemitic and anti-Israel disgrace,” the American Jewish Committee tweeted. “There is no room for antisemitism in the fight against racism. All countries serious about combating antisemitism should skip the Durban anniversary event.”

Countries who remain committed to attend the Durban conference this week include Iran, Syria, China, Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan, Poland, and Ireland.

“It is not too late to urge more countries to pull out ahead of Wednesday’s Durban IV conference at UN headquarters in New York,” UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer said. “We are encouraging all governments and NGOs to say no to Durban.”