On 22 July on the ECOSOC in Geneva, Singapore and USA made statements against resolution adopted on 3 april. Italian Ambassador Mario Alessi replied.

JOINT STATEMENT ON THE QUESTION OF THE DEATH PENALTY made by Singapore

( People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Bahrain, People's Republic of Bangladesh, Kingdom of Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, People's Republic of China, Cuba, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of Ghana , Republic of Indonesia, Isalmic Republic of Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kyrgyz Republic, Socialist People's Libya Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Republic of Malawi, Union of Myanmar, Fedrel Republic of Nigeria, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Philippines, Stae of Qatar, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Sudan, Kingdom of Swaziland, Arab Republic of Syria, United Arab Emirates, republic of Yemen, Republic of Zimbawe)

1 We would like to place on record our reservations on the resolution E/CN.4/1997L.20 on the question of the death penalty contained in the draft report on the 53th Session of Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/1997/L.10/Add.14 dated 7 Aril 1997)

2 Firstly there is no international consensus that capital punishment shoul be abolished. Article 6(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognises that bthe "sentence of death may be imposed only in the most serious crimes".

3 Secondly, capital punishment has often been characterised as a human rights issue in the context of the right of the convicted prisoner to life. However, this must be weighed against the rights of the victims and the right of the community to live in peace and security.

4 Thirdly, the question of whether to retain or abolish the death penalty should be carefully studied by each state, taking fully into account the sentiments of its people and the state of crime and crimnal policy. It is inappropiate to make a universal decision on this question or to propose such action in the forum of an international organisation.

5 For above reasons, the delegations subscribing to this statement would like to disassociate ouserlves from Resolution 1997/12 in Chapter II, Section A of the report to the ECOSOC on the 53th Session of the Commission on Human Rights (E/1997/23E/CN.4/1997/150).

STATEMENT BY USA Seth Winnick US representative on ECOSOC.

The United States regrets that it coul not support the resolution on capital punishment at the Commission on Human Rights.

While we share the goals of the resolution 's sponsors to ensure that states impose capital punishment in strict accordance with international legal requirements, this resolution, on the whole, is unable and respresents a significant departure from established international consensus norms concerning capital punishmnet.

Whether capital punishment should be imposed in connection with the most serious crimes is a difficult issue about which ther is no international consensus.

While international law limits capital punishment to the most serious crimes and requires ceratin safeguards including due process, international law does not prohibit capital punishment. Indeed, the International Covenant on Civil nad Political Rights expressly recognizes the right of countries that have not abolished capital punishment to impose it.

Accordingly each state should decide through its democratic processs whetehr or not its domesitic laws shloud allow capital punishment, in accordance with international standards.

Unfortunately, this resolution rejects this wellestablished international approach to capital punishment. It ignores the rights of States to impose capital punishmnet in accordance with international norms and safeguards. It implies that popular support for capital punishment in some countries, expressed through their democratic system, should be ignored.

For these reasons, the United Statesvoted against the rsolution at the Commission on Human Rights.

INTERVENTION DE L'AMBASSADEUR MARIO ALESSI

Ayant écouté les déclarations qui ont été prononcées au sujet de la résolution 1997/12 sur la question de la peine de mort, contenue dans le projet de rapport E/1997/23, la délégation italienne qui en a pris l'iniative à la 53ème session de la Commisson des Droits de l'Homme, avec le soutien convaincu de nombreux autres Pays, souhaite formuler quelques brèves ponctualisations.

Nous éviternos de répéter les arguments apportés à l'appui de notre action, piusque cela ne nous parait pas nécessaire dans le contexte où nous nous trouvons. Nous voulons seulement confirmer notre attachement aux hauts principes humanitaires auxquels cette résolution s'inspire et que le droit international a progressivement consacrés dans un certain nombre d'instruments juridiques.

Nous restons, d'autre part, convaincus que la Commission des Droits de l'Homme est le forum institutionnellement qualifié pour un débat dans la matière, le but étant celui de stimuler une évolution ultérieure fondée sur le libre consentement des Etats. Il nous semble approprié que la Commission ait pu se prononcer au sujet de la peine de mort, en approuvant à forte majorité la résolution dont il est question: la dissociation dont certains Pays ont voulu faire état dans cette enceinte ne modifie pas cet état de choses.