Future Finnish Council Presidency expected to officially request discussion on a motion of universal moratorium 11/05/1999 (Agence Europe)

On Thursday afternoon, the EU adopted a resolution from six political groups on the establishment of a universal moratorium on capital punishment. It considers that approval by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, for the third consecutive year, of a resolution recommending the abolition of the death penalty, would be a premise for establishing a principle of international law, now to be affirmed by the United Nations General Assembly. Under these conditions, the EP: - restates its request to the German Presidency to do everything possible so that the Cologne Summit decides to request, on behalf of the EU, the inclusion on the agenda of the next General Assembly, in the autumn, of the question of a moratorium on capital punishment; - calls on the future Finnish Presidency to submit a formal request for inclusion of this question on the Assembly's agenda, on behalf of the Union, before 20 August.