On World Day Against the Death Penalty, Italy renews its commitment to the battle for a universal moratorium on executions. “Italy considers the defence of human rights an inalienable principle. We intend to continue to fight for a moratorium on executions in advance of the universal abolition of the death penalty”, Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini stated.
“Moreover, Italy has always been in the forefront; in 2007 we promoted an initiative that led to the adoption of the UN General Assembly’s first resolution on capital punishment. The following year, and again in 2010, we joined a group of other countries in sponsoring two other resolutions approved by the UN”, she pointed out.
“Italy renewed its commitment this year as well, along with other countries, in presenting the General Assembly with a resolution on a universal moratorium on capital executions”, Mogherini explained. “On July 1st we set up a task force to coordinate Italian efforts ahead of the UN vote, in collaboration with Amnesty International, the Community of Sant’Egidio and Hands Off Cain”, she specified. “President of the Council of Ministers Matteo Renzi personally attended an event organised on 25 September, during the UN General Assembly, by Italy, other partners and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights”.
Mogherini concluded by citing the need to “extend and consolidate the ranks of those countries that support the resolution, and indispensable to this will be the joint involvement of the civil society”.