The United States "will not join" the UN conference on racism starting Monday in Geneva because its final declaration still includes language the US "is unable to support," the State Department said.

The United States, along with Israel, walked out of the landmark World Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001 after a row with some Muslim states about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.

Israel criticism

Negotiators had been trying to find common ground before the meeting in Geneva, but the US said there were still concerns it would limit free speech and single out Israel for criticism.

"Unfortunately, it now seems certain these remaining concerns will not be addressed in the document to be adopted by the conference next week," Robert Wood, US state department spokesman, said in a statement issued late on Saturday.

"Therefore, with regret, the United States will not join the review conference.''

Washington's decision followed intense lobbying by Israeli and Jewish groups,

The five-day Geneva conference, which begins on Monday, has been called to assess international progress in fighting racism and xenophobia since the Durban meeting.

The announced boycott came about three months after President Barack Obama became the first African-American to lead the United States.

Canada also has said it will not go next week because of fears of a repeat of the "Israel-bashing" that occurred at the last conference. The European Union is still deliberating.

The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating EU presidency, has called a meeting for Sunday evening to evaluate the bloc's stance on attending.

"There are still several member states of the EU that are not decided yet," Czech foreign ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Opletalova said. "We are in touch with them and there will be a decision on a common position before the conference starts."

Britain, however, confirmed that it would send a delegation to the conference, albeit without a high-level official.

Extremely disappointing

Juliette de Rivero of Human Rights Watch said the meeting in Geneva would lack needed diplomatic gravitas without Washington's presence.

"For us it's extremely disappointing and it's a missed opportunity, really, for the United States," she said.

Barbara Lee, the Republican chair of the congressional black caucus, said the group was "deeply dismayed".

"This decision is inconsistent with the administration's policy of engaging with those we agree with and those we disagree with," she said.

"By boycotting Durban, the US is making it more difficult for it to play a leadership role on UN Human Rights Council as it states it plans to do. This is a missed opportunity, plain and simple."

A draft declaration prepared for the conference removed all passages specifically criticising Israel, a call to bar defamation of religion.

Agencies