UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon criticizes the boycott of the UN Racism Conference by several countries, including Germany

Delegates from several European states walked out of the UN Racism Conference in Geneva during Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's address. During his speech Ahmadinejad accused Israel of being the "most cruel and racist regime. Several countries, including Germany, had earlier decided to stay away from the conference because of fears Ahmadinejad would use the summit as a platform for anti-semitic remarks. Earlier, U-N Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon expressed his regret at the boycott and defended holding the conference.