Another Victory at the U.N.

Community of Sant'Egidio

ANOTHER VICTORY AT THE U.N.

FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS APPROVED
A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A UNIVERSAL MORATORIUM
OF EXECUTIONS AND THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE WORLD

The Community of Sant'Egidio gladly welcomes the big step taken by the United Nations when, just a short while ago, the General Assembly approved a new resolution calling for a Universal Moratorium of capital punishment.

A victory for the front of opposition to the culture of death, in every circumstance. 106 votes in favour, only 46 against, with the abstentions lowered to 34. The vote reflects an increase in countries favourable to the resolution, more than the 102 which approved it last year, when a resolution for a Universal Moratorium was historically approved for the first time.

The vote represents a step in the direction of a culture of life and of a system of justice which always respects life. It comes at the end of an exceptional year, which started with the abolition of capital punishment in Uzbekistan, followed by Burundi and in recent days the addition of Togo to the list of abolitionist countries.

It confirms a change in the world's perception and a new and higher threshold of respect for human rights. The death penalty is a remnant of the past, like slavery and torture were for a long time before being rejected by the world's conscience. While respecting the right of every country to choose the most appropriate instruments to defend its citizens and repress crime, the General Assembly of the United Nations has reaffirmed that the abolition of the death penalty is an objective for the entire international community, insofar as it deals with human rights and, as such, is an issue for the entire world.

It is a breakthrough for civilization.

The UN just voted in favor of the resolution for a death penalty moratorium

The resolution passed the UN vote a little while ago:

105 in favor, 48 against and 31 abstentions.

Last year it passed with 99 in favor, 52 against and 33 abstentions.

The Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly passes a global moratorium resolution

Renny Cushing of MVFHR is reporting that in an historic vote this afternoon, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a global "moratorium on executions with a view toward abolishing the death penalty".

The vote was 99 in favor, 53 against, and 33 abstentions. The vote came after two days of debate that included the defeat of 14 proposed amendments that would have wrecked the resolution and an effort to put off a vote on the resolution for 5 years.

Congratulations to all the organizations and individuals though out the globe who worked so hard for passage of this resolution. Today's vote is another step forward in the global struggle for human rights and a clear signal that the day will come when we live in a world without the death penalty.

Earlier this week Unites States and other death penalty countries such as Saudi Arabia tried to block the attempt. The Independent has more.

As of last night, the draft resolution had been sponsored by 85 states, including all 27 European Union nations. The United States, which executed 53 people last year, will vote against. So will China, which put 2,790 people to death last year. In fact 91 per cent of all death sentences carried out happen in six countries: China, the US, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq and Iran, where two men were publicly hanged for murder and robbery yesterday.

5,000,000 signatures for moratorium collected

The community of Sant’Egidio and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty have collected five millions signatures from around the world calling for a moratorium on executions. According to their press release,

A delegation of anti-death penalty activists from around the world will meet with the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Srgian Kerim, on Friday, November 2, at 10:30 AM, to deliver a petition containing over five million signatures that urge the General Assembly to pass a resolution calling for a global moratorium on executions.

The delegation, led by Mario Marazziti of the Community of Sant'Egidio, will include Sister Helen Prejean, leading American advocate of the abolition of the death penalty and the woman behind the movie Dead Man Walking, Yvonne Terlingen, Head of Amnesty International's UN Office in New York, Renny Cushing, Marie Verzulli, and Bill Babbitt from Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights, an international organization of victims' family members and family members of the executed, Speedy Rice from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Elizabeth Zitrin, member of the executive board of Death Penalty Focus.

Angola, Albania, Brazil, Croatia, Gabon, Mexico, the Philippines, Portugal (for the EU), and New Zealand are presenting the text of the resolution to the General Assembly as a cross-regional initiative. Close to one hundred other countries have signed on as co-sponsors.

After meeting with the President of the General Assembly, the delegation will hold a press conference at 11:00 AM at UNCA CLUB, UN, Room 326, at the Third Floor of UN Headquarters.

Videotaped statements will also be available from Rev. Rowan Williams, Primate of the Church of England (London), Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (Buenos Aires), Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President of the Pontifical Council Justice and Peace (Vatican City), and Siti Musdah Muliva, Moslem theologian at the University of Jakarta.

Appointments:

UN HEADQUARTERS

UN, 10.30, President's office

UN, 11 AM, UNCA CLUB, Room 326, Third Floor

Contacts:

Mario Marazziti

Telephone: +39 335 726 3641

Mobile +39 346 850 1247

email/blackberry: m.marazziti@gmail.com

Yvonne Terlingen

Telephone +1212 867 8878 ext 2

Mobile + 1917 406 1185

Fax +1212 370 0183