The United Nations General Assembly has recently adopted, with 117 votes in favour, the sixth resolution calling for a universal moratorium on the use of the death penalty. Even in the face of terrorism and other threats to global security, the vote reconfirms the international community’s commitment to work together towards a world free from the death penalty.
The vote obtained in the New York General Assembly is an important achievement as it follows up on the text adopted last November by the competent UNGA’s Third Committee and on the intense work also conducted through Italy’s diplomatic network. Thanks to the commitment of the Foreign Ministry and of all the Italian institutions, it was possible to consolidate the support needed to pass the resolution. A significant contribution was also made by the civil society organisations that, together with the Foreign Ministry, form part of the Joint Task Force against the Death Penalty: the Community of Sant’Egidio, Amnesty International and Nessuno Tocchi Caino (“Hands Off Cain”).
The resolution calling for a universal moratorium on the death penalty is promoted by a coalition of Countries from all over the world. Campaigning against the death penalty has traditionally been one of Italy’s priorities in the promotion of human rights.
