AUSTRALIA will boycott a United Nations forum on racism in Geneva starting today over fears that the meeting could be used as a platform to air anti-Semitic views.

After weeks of negotiation on the wording of a draft text to be presented at the conference, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said yesterday Australia had decided "with regret" to pull out of the meeting.

The Obama Administration had announced a few hours earlier that the United States would not be attending the forum — also using the phrase "with regret".

The lead-up to the meeting has been dogged by claims that some countries will use the summit to criticise Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and mount anti-Semitic tirades.