Subject: UN - DEATH PENALTY: RESOLUTION ON MORATORIA
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Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of Italy, Malta, Guinea
Bissau, Honmduras and Kingdom of Cambodia addressed to: Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General of the United Nations, the following
letter concerning the resolution on moratoria on pending executions.
New York, 21 October 1994
Excellency,
Upon instructions from our Governments, we are writing to request, in
accordance with rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly,
the inclusion of an additional item of an important and urgent character
entitled "Capital Punishment" in the agenda of the forty-ninth session of
the General Assembly.
In accordance with rule 20 of the rules of procedure of the General
Assembly, an explanatory memorandum and the text of a draft resolution are
attached to the present letter.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Signatures of:
-F.Paolo Fulci, Permanent Representative of Italy to the U.N.
-Joseph Cassar, Permanent Representative of Malta to the U.N.
-Boubacar Toure, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau
to the U.N.
-Gerardo Martinez Blanco, Permanent Representative of Honduras to the U.N.
-Sisowath Sirirath, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to
the United Nations
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United
Nations have shown a continuing interest in the study of the question of
capital punishment with a view to promoting full respect for everyone's
right to life, and taken various initiatives aiming at reaching the
ultimate goal of abolishing the death penalty in all countries, inter alia
through resolution 44/128 of 15 December 1989 adopting the Second Optional
Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The question of capital punishment has become particularly urgent in recent
times, in view of the continuing high number of death sentences and
executions in various parts of the world. A resolution adopted on October
4, 1994, by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, has
underlined this urgency and asked all States that have not yet abolished
the capital punishment to rapidly do so. We also would like to recall the
resolution adopted by the European Parliament on March 12, 1992 pointing in
the same direction.
In accordance with such a line our Countries have decided to promote an
appropriate action within the United Nations, aiming at contributing to an
eventual abolition of capital punishment. This initiative reflects the
sentiments of the overwhelming majority of our peoples, who are firmly
opposed to imposition of the death penalty anywhere in the world.
Therefore, we would like to request that the issue of capital punishment be
inserted in the agenda of the 49th General Assembly and to this end submit
the attached draft resolution.
