Subject: (2) UN - DEATH PENALTY: RESOLUTION ON MORATORIA
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DRAFT RESOLUTION:
The General Assembly,
Recalling article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which
affirms everyone's right to life,
Recalling its resolutions 2857 (XXVI) of 20 December 1971, 32/61 of 8
December 1977 and 44/128 of 15 December 1989, the latter adopting the
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty,
Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolutions 1574 (L) of 20 May
1971, 1745 (LIV) of 16 May 1973, 1930 (LVIII) of 6 May 1975, 1985/33 of 29
May 1985, 1990/29 of 24 May 1990 and 1990/51 of 24 July 1990,
Deeply concerned about the fact that capital punishment is still retained
and used for ordinary crimes by a consistent number of member States and
that several countries impose the death penalty in disregard of the
safeguards provided in the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights for juveniles and pregnant women,
Commending that both in the Statute of the ad hoc tribunal for the crimes
committed in the former Jugoslavia established by Security Council
resolution 827 of 25 May 1993 and in the draft Statute for an International
Criminal Court eleborated by the International Law Commission capital
punishment is excluded from the penalties that these Courts are authorized
to impose,
Believing that abolition of the death penalty contributes to enhancement of
human dignity and progressive development of human rights,
Calls upon all Governements in a position to do so to consider signing and
ratifying or acceding to the Second Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
Invites all States, referring to its resolutions 2857 (XXVI) and 32/61, to
consider the progressive restriction of the number of offences for wihch
the death penalty may be imposed and the exclusion of juveniles and
pregnant women from capital executions,
Encourages all member States to consider the opportunity of introducing the
necessary amendments in their legislation with a view to the desirability
of abolishing the death penalty in all countries thus promoting full
respect for everyone's right to life, as well as for the expectation of
every human being not to be killed following a legal sentence or judicial
measure,
Also encourages all States to consider the opportunity of instituting
moratoria on pending executions with a view to ensuring that the principle
that no State should dispose of the life of any human being be affirmed in
every part of the world within the year 2000.
