Written Answers - Death Penalty Abolition.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
22
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will, as a member of the Council of Ministers, initiate a world-wide campaign to abolish the death penalty; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4345/98]
I have expressed, on a number of occasions and most recently on 3 February last, my abhorrence of the use of the death penalty as an instrument of judicial punishment. I know that sentiment is shared by my fellow Deputies as was reflected in the recent adoption by this House by consensus of a resolution which affirmed that "the abolition of the death penalty represents a raising of human dignity and the progressive development of fundamental freedoms". I welcomed this resolution.
Ireland has used and will continue to avail of each and every opportunity to press for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide, both within the United Nations and Council of Europe frameworks, in concert with our EU partners. In this context, I recall some specific actions which have been taken in recent years. At the UN General assembly in 1994, Ireland was a strong supporter of an Italian draft resolution which called for a global abolition of capital punishment. Despite the best efforts of our own and like-minded delegations, that resolution was defeated. However, we did succeed in having a similar resolution adopted at the 53rd session of the UN Commission on Human Rights on 3 April 1997. On that occasion, we laid particular emphasis on our belief that the death penalty, as a human rights issue, is, therefore, a matter of legitimate concern to the international community in line with the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993. The resolution which was adopted enjoyed wide geographical support and was the first such resolution adopted by the Commission for many years. At the forthcoming session of the Commission, which commences in Geneva on 16 March next, Ireland will once again be taking a very strong stand in favour of the total, world-wide, abolition of capital punishment.
Following the adoption by the Commission of a resolution on the death penalty last year, another welcome development was the adoption last October of the Final Declaration of the Second Summit of the Council of Europe Summit by the Heads of State and Governments of all the member states. This declaration called for the universal abolition of the death penalty and insisted on the maintenance, in the meantime, of existing moratoria on executions in Europe.
We also welcome the fact that Britain is now in a position to associate itself with its European partners in calling for universal abolition of the death penalty. This revised British position means that EU démarches and initiatives on this question will have greater impact and will reinforce our common message in support of abolition. Among initiatives in this area in recent months, the EU has expressed its concern about the use of the death penalty in the Republic of Korea, and a démarche was made to the Jamaican Government about its decision to denounce the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for reasons associated with the use of the death penalty in that jurisdiction. Ireland will continue to endorse such EU initiatives in support of universal abolition of the death penalty and a moratorium on its use.
Arising from the recent debate in this House on the use of capital punishment in the United States, I will be writing in the very near future to the governors of all US states which have provision for the use of the death penalty on their statute books, asking that they do all in their power to bring this practice to an end.
