The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, arrived in South Africa yesterday for a two-day visit aimed primarily at reaching agreement on the agenda for, and the approach to be adopted at, the World Conference on Racism in Durban in August-September.
The Durban conference will tackle issues as diverse as the treatment of immigrants and asylum-seekers in developed nations and contemporary slavery in Africa.
On the first day of her visit, Mrs Robinson visited Soweto, the black township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, where a major rebellion by black students against white rule began in 1976. There she paid homage to Hector Petersen, the boy who was shot dead by police and who has become a symbol of the struggle against apartheid.
Later, Mrs Robinson travelled to Orlando High School in Soweto - one of the centres of resistance in the 1976-1977 rebellion - where she talked to students about human rights and racism.
Judging from her remarks at a briefing session in Pretoria, attended by diplomats and journalists, Mrs Robinson - who attended a meeting of the national preparatory committee for the racism conference yesterday - wants the primary theme to be forward-looking, a conference for openness and inclusiveness in the 21st century rather than an opportunity to dwell of the racist iniquities of the 20th century.
She also wants to focus on the spread of HIV-AIDS and the need to educate communities not to exclude AIDS victims. The plight of minorities targeted for discrimination - including "the Travellers in my own country" - figured high on her list of agenda priorities for the 21st century, as did gender discrimination against women, particularly where they were members of minority groups became the victims of double discrimination.
Yesterday's agenda included talks with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and discussions with the members of the South African Human Rights Commission, which hosted South Africa's national conference on racism last year.
Before leaving for Geneva today Mrs Robinson will appear on a popular phone-in radio show and hold talks with the Foreign Minister, Mr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and President Thabo Mbeki, who is expected to deliver the opening speech at the Durban conference.
During her talks with Mr Mbeki, Mrs Robinson is expected to raise her concerns about the deteriorating political situation in neighbouring Zimbabwe. She has repeatedly urged President Robert Mugabe to respect human rights and press freedom in Zimbabwe.
UN officials suggested that Mrs Robinson would nudge Mr Mbeki to take a much firmer line on the Zimbabwe crisis than he has done so far.