Geneva - A new shortened draft declaration for an upcoming UN conference on racism which deletes direct references to Israel may be enough to woo back countries threatening to boycott the summit, officials hoped on Wednesday.

Both Israel and the US left the previous summit, in Durban in 2001, over criticisms of Israel, and Israel and Canada were threatening to boycott the upcoming conference in Geneva over the same issue.

An amended text, released on Tuesday and cut down from 45 pages to 17 and dropping direct references to Israel and also attempts to ban religious defamation, sparked optimism Wednesday among UN officials for a positive outcome to the Geneva event.

In addition to Israel and Canada, some countries, including European Union members and the United States, have said their participation would depend on the text of the declaration.

Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi, the Nigerian ambassador to the UN in Geneva and the president of the Human Rights Council said the new text provided a "good basis" for countries to reengage with the conference.

He said he hoped all countries would take part in the conference, calling racism a "disservice to humanity."

"Every single human being deserves respect," said Uhomoibhi.

Similarly, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called the new text a "major turning point."

"I really hope that this marks the necessary breakthrough needed to achieve consensus on a text that must offer concrete help to hundreds of groups and millions of individuals who are subjected to racism and other forms of intolerance all across the world," she said.

Israel and the US left in the middle of the original conference in Durban, after the Jewish State was targeted for criticism and its founding ideology, Zionism, came under attack. The legacy of slavery was also another sensitive point which led to disputes.

Similar issued have plagued the upcoming conference set for April 20-24 in Geneva.

"The US is currently studying the new text," an official at the diplomatic mission to Geneva said.

He added that the "US remains open to positive results" but the final declaration could not single out one country for criticism or include what it considers limitations on freedom of expression by including texts on religious defamation.

Talking about reparations for slavery would also be sensitive.

Israeli officials said they were still sceptical about the text in general and whether in the upcoming weeks deleted mentions of their country would be reinserted.

The new draft declaration was released on Tuesday by Russian diplomat Yuri Boychenko, the working group chairman. (dpa)