NOTE ON THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE WORLDWIDE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY

On April 3rd 1997, the UN Commission for Human Rights approved, by 27 votes in favour, 11 against and 14 abstentions, a resolution against the death penalty, tabled by the Italian Government and co-sponsored by 45 other States from all regions (see text and co-sponsors ).

By approving this resolution the UN, for the first time, considers the abolition of death penalty as "an enhancement of human dignity" and as "a progressive development of human rights", and calls upon all Member States "that have not yet abolished the death penalty to consider suspending executions, with a view to completely abolishing the death penalty".

The rapport of the association "Hands off Cain" underlines the fact that, since 1995, the UN Member States that maintain the death penalty (86) are now in the minority compared to States that:

- have totally abolished the death penalty (57) or

- have abolished it only for ordinary crimes (15) or

- are abolitionist de facto (21) or, finally,

- have made commitments before to the Council of Europe to abolish the death penalty in their capacity of new member States (7).

Furthermore, among the States that maintain the death penalty, there are 4 observers to the Council of Europe that could abolish it as future Members States, as did Georgia that definitely abolished it on November 11, 1997.

Other important progress has occurred since the approval of the resolution of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva:

- Colombia and Greece have ratified the Second Protocol to the International Covenant on civil and political rights for the abolition of the death penalty;

- Canada is about to totally abolish it, even from military codes;

- the British Government has announced a stand on the death penalty in an abolitionist sense;

- Armenia, in April 1997, approved, in first reading, a new penal code that exclude the death penalty:

- Estonia has approved, on April 16, 1997, in first reading, the ratification of the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights;

- Malawi has adopted, on July 23, '97, a moratorium on sentences and capital executions;

- the President of Mali has announced, on December 10, '97 the intention of his country to abolish the death penalty;

- in Kirghizistan, on last January 1, a new penal code entered into force that reduces considerably the number of crimes for which the death penalty is applicable;

- the Parliament of Azerbaijan has abolished, last January, the death penalty;

- the President of Turkey has announced, on January 4, 1998, his willingness to abolish the death penalty;Now the goal is to diffuse, strengthen and consolidate the principles expressed in the resolution approved on April 3, 1997 by the UN Commission of Human Rights. In a first phase, inside the UN Commission on Human Rights, we should work to confirm and reinforce (adding an explicit demand to the General Assembly to establish a worldwide moratorium) the position taken in the resolution of 1997.

In a second phase, it is vital to create the conditions to make it possible that during the next UN General Assembly (SeptemberDecember 1998) a greater number of States sponsor a new more incisive draft Resolution for the establishment of a worldwide moratorium on capital executions.

As the 1997 experience at the Human Rights Commission demonstrated, it is very important to create a group of "SponsorStates" that should not be bound to any specific region of the planet.

According to the contact taken by the Transnational Radical Party and by the association "Hands off Cain", it appears that from the african continent, Senegal (that coordinates the African group) and South-Africa are likely to sponsor a resolution at the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva this year. As for Europe one could count on almost all the EU Members States (the EU States that are member of the Commission this year are: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Luxembourg) as well as on different Countries of Central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, FYROM, Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia) besides Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and maybe Kirghistan. As far as Latin America is concerned several Countries (among which Uruguay, Brazil, Chili, Ecuador and Venezuela are Member States this year) are likely to confirm their sponsorship of last year.

The issue of the death penalty is already on the agenda of the Commission on Human Rights. The new resolution will be be tabled next March 16.

According to article 69, subsection 3, of the Rules of procedure of the ECOSOC functional commissions, States that are not members of the Commission can sponsor the resolution simply by notifying their intention to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva by fax.