Information bulletin on the campaigns of the Transnational Radical Party
Issue #21, 5 August, 1998
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* Editor's Office: Mihai Romanciuc - Marco Perduca, Via di Torre Argentina 76, 00186 Rome (IT)
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* Printing and Distribution: Alberto Novi (B)
* Published in English, Italian, French, Russian, and Spanish.
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>> 1998, THEY YEAR OF THE UNIVERSAL RULE OF LAW
In this issue:
- TRP Secretary writes to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy;
- launches a fax-email campaign on the Italian Government;
- EU Presidency replies to TRP Secretary;
- 443 MPs sign TRP appeal;
- ICC letter of the Deputy Chairman of the Adzerbaijan Parliament;
- The EP adopts a Radical resolution on Vietnam.
>> MORATORIUM OF CAPITAL EXECUTIONS: TRP SECRETARY OLIVIER DUPUIS OPEN LETTER TO THE ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HON. LAMBERTO DINI.
Rome, July 24, 1998
Esteemed Mr. Minister,
I am writing to you to congratulate and to thank you, on behalf of the Radical Party and myself, for the crucial role of the entire Italian Government, for the successful outcome of the Diplomatic Conference for the establishment of the International Criminal Court. It is a historic victory of Italian diplomacy.
I am absolutely convinced that to this success it is possible to add another one regarding the respect and the implementation of international law: the establishment of a universal moratorium of capital executions at the 1998 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The opportunity reasons that could have suggested the postponement of this initiative to next year seem to me to be overcome. The proposal to reform the UN Security Council without taking into consideration Italy's position to favor a 'European' enlargement only through the inclusion of the European Union as such, have been stopped.
Italy's approach is shared, even if with different motivations, by a large majority of UN Member States. This result, due to the active action of H.E. Ambassador Fulci in New York, is a victory of the Italian Diplomacy and a confirmation of Italy's European Federalist position.
Since 1994, year in which, as you are aware, a resolution on the moratorium was rejected only for a few votes at the UNGA, many nations have abolished the death penalty. In 1997, the UN Commission on Human Rights has adopted a resolution in which it is affirmed that the abolition of he death penalty constitutes an enlargement of the sphere of Human Rights.
Last April, again, the Geneva Commission has foreseen in a resolution at the UNGA the adequate instrument for the establishment of the universal moratorium. The European Union , through a series of resolutions at the European Parliament and the official position of the Council on the matter, has repeated that the universal abolition of the death penalty is a priority in its relationship with States non member. And lastly, the Austrian Presidency of the EU has declared its support to the Italian initiative at the UN.
It seem so to me that the necessary general conditions to achieve, this year, another successful reform of international law are at hand. Another incontestable fact is the unanimous recognition of the leadership role played by Italy in this field. It is therefore indispensable that the Italian Government, that you, Mr. Minister, decide to promote this initiative, submitting by August 20, 1998, the item of the moratorium to the next session of the UNGA agenda.
Thanking you for your consideration, and waiting for your reply, I send you my sincerest regards.
Cordially,
Olivier Dupuis
Secretary of the Radical Party
Member of the European Parliament
>> MORATORIUM/WORLDWIDE MOBILIZATION TO HAVE IT DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT UN GENERAL ASEMBLY.
After the extremely important success of the statues of the two ad hoc tribunals and, most recently, of the one of the International Criminal Court adopted a few days ago in Rome, what until some months ago seemed an impossible task can now become another significant reality.
The International Community has clearly stated in the last four years, in official documents, the Tribunals Statutes and the 1997-98 resolutions at the Geneva Commission on Human Rights, that capital executions are not considerate comminable penalties by international organs and/or institutions.
We want to formalize this 'de facto' initial exclusion of the death penalty from international documents, with a resolution adopted by the United Nations this year in which the International Community establishes a universal moratorium of capital executions.
To put pressure on the Italian Government, which is leading the abolitionist front at the UN - the Transnational Radical Party has launched a worldwide mobilization to submit the item of the universal moratorium on capital executions for the next UN General Assembly agenda. We are urging the Italian Government to re-submit the item, as they did in 1994, and make it become a priority for the next UNGA session starting this September.
To help us in this initiative you can fax and/or email the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lamberto Dini, asking him to do all is in his power to submit the item by August 20, 1998 to the Office of the Presidency of the General Assembly. We also ask you to fax or email us your message. Thank you.
Mr. Dini's fax number is (39 6) 36.91.20.15, the email is relazioni.pubblico@esteri.it
Our proposed text is:
Dear Mr. Minister,
Congratulations for Italy's role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court.
At this international juncture, the time is now ripe to keep up this momentum of reform, and push for a universal moratorium of capital executions.
The leadership role played by Italy in 1994 at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), as well as the one at the 1997-1998 sessions of the Commission on Human Rights, can be repeated this year at the UNGA.
I respectfully ask the Italian Government to lead, once again, this noble campaign for universal Human Rights and the rule of law, and submit an item for the next UNGA agenda titled "A Universal Moratorium of Capital Executions".
Thank you. Best regards.
Sincerely,
>> MORATORIUM/THE PRESIDENCY OF THE EU COUNCIL REPLIES TO THE RADICAL PARTY SECRETARY OLIVIER DUPUIS.
Agence Europe, Thursday, 23 July 1998
Brussels, 22/07/1998 (Agence Europe) - During the traditional meeting at the beginning of the Presidency with the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Monday 20 July in Brussels, EU Council President Wolfgang Schussel was also questioned on:
- An Italian initiative in the UN with a view to declaring a moratorium on implementation of the death penalty. While admitting that there is not yet a "totally coherent line" among the Fifteen on this subject, Mr. Schussel, replying to Mr. Dupuis (Radical Alliance), said he was prepared to discuss with his Italian colleague Mr. Dini the possibility of launching such an initiative at the next UN General Assembly in September.
UNIVERSAL MORATORIUM OF CAPITAL EXECUTIONS. THE NUMBER OF PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT WANT THE ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION IS CONSTANTLY INCREASING. 443 MPs FROM 48 COUNTIRES HAVE SIGNED OUR APPEAL.
By signing our international appeal, 443 Parliamentarians from 48 countries are asking the next session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to establish, this year, a universal moratorium of capital executions.
In particular the MPs ask "the UN Member States Governments to promote and support [...] at the UNGA resolutions with the view of establishing a universal moratorium of capital executions by 1998 as a first step of the total abolition of the death penalty."
What follows is the list of 48 countries:
Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, El Salvador, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Mexico, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Niger, Norway, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Peru, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tchetchenia, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela.
>> ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT IS A MAIN VICTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE 20-th CENTURY.
MESSAGE BY Mr. ARIF RAGIM-ZADE, FIRST DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE MILII MEDJLIS (Parliament) OF THE AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC.
Dear friends,
Establishment of the International Criminal Court is a real prerequisite to the fact that a rule of law, and not a geopolitical approach will triumph in the process of settlement of ethnic, international and other conflicts which cause death of many innocent peoples all over the world.
In the result of the war 20% of the territory of my country are under the occupation of Armenia, more that million of Azerbaijan citizens have a shameful for today refugee status in their own country.
Establishment of the Court let us hope that the world community will condemn duly aggressive actions and those which violate norms of the International Law and will prevent from such facts like a destruction of Azeri city Khodjali, brutal murder of 4.500 of innocent citizens.
Milli Medjlis (Parliament) of Azerbajan several times supported the idea of creation of the International Criminal Court by great majority of votes of parliamentarians. The Parliament believed that thanking to the Court the world will become more fair and stable.
Let me sincerely congratulate the founders and main forces of the activity of the Radical Party - Marco Pannella, Emma Bonino, Olivier Dupuis and all those which did their bests to reach today's victory on the eve of the 21-st century.
I wish a soonest recovery to the Patriarch of the Party, dear Marco Pannella.
>> EUROPEAN UNION/VIETNAM: THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN A RESOLUTION ADOPTED LAST WEEK, CONDEMNS THE SERIOUS VIOLATIONS OF FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS IN VIETNAM.
DECLARATION OF OLIVIER DUPUIS, MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND SECRETARY OF THE RADICAL PARTY.
Rome, July 17, 1998 - The European Parliament has approved a resolution in which it condemns the extremely serious violations of fundamental Human Rights in Vietnam. In the document the EP invites the Vietnamese authorities to rapidly proceed with the reform process and insure the rule of law. The resolution presented by the European Radical Alliance has been endorsed by the European People's Party, the Euro-Liberals the Union for Europe, the Europe of Nations Group and the Greens. Socialists and Communists have voted against.
Declaration of Olivier Dupuis, MEP and Secretary of the Radical Party:
"With the adoption of this resolution the European Parliament ends a long, shameful and compromising silence on a Country that remains one of the last violent totalitarian regimes of the planet. To this initiative the Socialist and the Communist groups have stated their no. I am grieved but not surprised. From China to Cuba, from inner Mongolia to Eastern Turckestan, from Northern Korea to Vietnam, this is the consolidated attitude of these two groups."
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SUBSCRIPTION FEES 1998: The subscription fees vary from nation to nation, according to the criteria of 1% of the GNP. They follow the fees relative to the distribution of the bulletin in the nations where it is most diffuse.
For missing fees, please contact the editor's office.
Albania 5 USD - Austria 2.400 ATS - Azerbaijan 3 USD - Belgium 7.000 BEF - Bulgaria 8 USD - Canada 285 CAD - Czech Republic 27 USD - Croatia 35 DEM - Denmark 1.800 DKK - France 1.300 FRF - Germany 460 DEM - Hungary 27 USD - Ireland 78 IEP - Italy 365.000 LIT - Netherlands 370 NLG - Poland 23 USD - Portugal 11.600 PTE - Rumania 12 USD - Russia 19 USD - Slovenia 85 DEM - Spain 17.600 ESB - Switzerland 500 CHF - Ukraine 13 USD - United Kingdom
129 GBP - United States 260 USD
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