4th World Congress against the Death Penalty

Madam President of the National Council of Switzerland [Pascale Bruderer Wyss]
Mr. Director-General of ECPM [Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan]
Distinguished Ministers
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Palais des Nations for the opening of the 4th World Congress against the Death Penalty.

In 2007, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 62/149 which called on States that still maintain the death penalty to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. The General Assembly considered that the death penalty undermined human dignity, that there was no conclusive evidence of the deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the implementation was irreversible and irreparable.

The Secretary-General welcomed the vote as a bold step by the international community. He was particularly encouraged by the support expressed for the initiative from diverse regions of the world, as further evidence of a trend towards ultimately abolishing the death penalty. The large turn-out here – with representatives of all stakeholder communities from all regions of the world – confirms this expanding global support for the eventual elimination of the death penalty.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is very appropriate that you come together here in the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room at the United Nations in Geneva, which is the world’s human rights capital. In December 2009, we marked the 20th anniversary of the Second Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which aims to bring about the abolition of the death penalty. The steady increase in ratifications – which now counts over 70 countries – is another demonstration of the growing commitment to the abolition of the death penalty.

The introduction of moratoria plays an important role in facilitating the process in States working towards eradication. As also noted in the General Assembly Resolution, a moratorium on the use of the death penalty contributes to the progressive development of human rights. The steadily increasing number of States that have introduced such suspensions must also be welcomed and encouraged to entrench the trend towards elimination.

We must not lose sight of the fact that abolishing the death penalty is a difficult and sensitive process for many societies. Moving this process forward will require comprehensive and inclusive national debates. It is my hope that the discussions at this World Congress, which will highlight the practical experiences of countries that have either abolished the death penalty or instituted a moratorium, can help to stimulate such national debates.

I have no doubt that this Congress, with frank and inclusive debates, will serve to raise awareness – in all regions and among all States – of the trend towards abolition of the death penalty and will help consolidate support for this trend. Governments, the United Nations, regional and other intergovernmental organizations and civil society need to be involved as partners in support of this process.

I wish you all success in your deliberations over the coming two days.

Thank you very much.