I have expressed my total opposition, and that of the Government, to the use of the death penalty on a number of occasions over the past two years, most recently in my statement in the Seanad on 17 February last.
As I said on that occasion, I am committed to availing of every suitable opportunity to press for the abolition of capital punishment. I also expressed the view of the Irish Government and that of the other member states of the European Union that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights.
I informed the Seanad that common guidelines for EU initiatives on the issue of the death penalty had been agreed and adopted by EU Foreign Ministers in June 1998. These guidelines state that where the death penalty still exists the EU will continue to press for its use to be progressively restricted and for moratoria to be introduced. In addition to interventions on the use of the death penalty in principle, it has also been agreed that, where individual cases violate basic minimum standards, the European Union will consider making a specific intervention. It is our strong belief that an EU intervention carries greater force than individual bilateral approaches by national Governments. This common EU policy does not imply that our scope for bilateral action has been curtailed. We are, rather, channelling our efforts towards building this common policy into an instrument of real strength which can make a difference in the global campaign.
Following the adoption of these guidelines, the Union's collective efforts have continued to focus on promoting universal abolition of the death penalty. We have pressed for abolition and have issued démarches on the use of the death penalty in a number of countries, including, inter alia, Sudan, Benin, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, the Palestinian Authority, the Philippines, Sierra Leone and the United States. EU policy dictates that countries should be given every assistance in introducing a moratorium or abolishing capital punishment. In this regard, we have publicly welcomed and supported such decisions in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Kirghizistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.