Thank you Warren, and first let me say how pleased I am to be here today. I would like to thank the IPI for hosting us, and the governments of Rwanda, the Philippines and Chile for their partnership in organizing this event. I would also like to thank Ms Atoki for travelling here from Nigeria for this event, and Amnesty International for their advice and assistance.---------When the Universal Declaration on Human Rights was adopted in 1948, 8 countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes. In 1977, when Amnesty International held what was the first international conference against the death penalty in Stockholm, still only about ten countries in the world were abolitionist. Today, 139 countries from all regions of the world, or more than two thirds or the world’s countries, have done so in law or in practice and only 25 countries carried out executions in 2008.
Only since the year 2000, on average more than two countries a year have moved to abolish the death penalty. I would like to recall the positive examples of Albania, the Cook Islands, Rwanda, Uzbekistan, Argentina, Burundi and Togo in deciding only in the last couple of years to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. Without doubt there is a worldwide tendency to abolish the death penalty. However, there is nevertheless much to be done in the work for universal abolition. Far too many people are being executed globally.
In several countries which still have provisions for the death penalty in their laws, there are national-level debates regarding the possibility of abolition. In the meantime, many have established a moratorium.
In 2007, as a result of a cross-regional initiative, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The resolution was reiterated during the 63rd General Assembly and will be presented again next year. The resolution has sparked debate in countries and regions where the death penalty is still in use. For example, following the adoption of this resolution, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights adopted a resolution reaffirming on the regional level the General Assembly Resolution.
The purpose of today’s event is to highlight the efforts and state of play of concerned regions and countries in this regard.
These ongoing debates, which involve both parliaments and the society as a whole, are of utmost importance to acknowledge. Only when we identify national challenges and share experiences and best practices are we able to move forward towards a worldwide elimination of this practice.
The death penalty concerns everyone’s right to life. As a form of punishment it is not only cruel, inhuman and degrading, but also irreversible and irreparable. No country and no legal system is immune to miscarriage of justice. The state, with its particular responsibility as the ultimate guarantor of all persons’ human rights, should not deprive anyone of his or her life.
It has not been determined that the death penalty provides added value in terms of deterrence. Far too many governments believe that they can solve social or political problems by executing prisoners. In our work against the death penalty we do not emphasize enough that the death penalty offers society no further protection but rather further brutalization.
The universal abolition of the death penalty is a priority of the EU. The EU believes that the elimination of the death penalty is fundamental to the enhancement of human dignity, and to the progressive development of human rights.
Since 1997 there has been no instance of execution in any part of the geographical area made up by the 27 European Union Member States. Abolition of the death penalty is also a condition which states are required to meet in order to become members of the European Union.
As a representative of the European Union I would like to encourage the Governments in all countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty to show political courage to do so. A first step would be to immediately initiate a moratorium. The efforts to abolish the death penalty gather support in all regions.
The historic adoption of the resolutions in 2007 and 2008 calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty was a joint effort by a large coalition of countries from each regional group at the UN. This work needs to continue. Today’s event aims to keep momentum on the death penalty issue, to which the General Assembly is to return next year.
Let me also point to the important and brave efforts of the representatives of civil society in their fight against the death penalty. They have our continued support and admiration.