Speaking during the 21st Session of the UNHRC, LI Vice-President and Chair of LI Human Rights Committee Abir Al-Sahlani MP has highlighted the fact that the international community has taken an important first step towards the universal abolition of the death penalty by adopting the Resolution on the Universal Moratorium of the Death Penalty in 2007. However, she has cautioned that 58 countries around the world continue to actively use capital punishment including against people under the age of 18.
Stressing that LI will speak loudly and hold all of those governments who have consciously terminated the lives of their citizens accountable for their actions Al-Sahlani said:
Mr President,
Let us all stand and observe a moment of silence for all of those whose lives were consciously terminated by fellow human beings because they were subjected to legally enforced capital punishment.
The death penalty or capital punishment is not only an internationally unacceptable practice. It is internationally illegal as it goes against the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
58 countries around the world continue to actively use capital punishment including against people under the age of 18. In addition, the People’s Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America remain amongst the countries that have executed the highest number of their own civilians in 2011.
Mr President,
A loss of one’s life cannot be redeemed by the taking of another.
Putting a moratorium on the death penalty constitutes an initial step towards enhancing human dignity.
Mr President,
No government has the right to take their citizens lives.
By adopting the Resolution on the Universal Moratorium of the Death Penalty in 2007 an important step has been taken. However, we are still witnessing shocking statistics on both the methods and number of capital punishment executions performed on a daily basis around the world.
Mr President,
Liberal International condemns the continued use of the death penalty. We call for its universal abolition.
We call on countries which produce and /or export substances that are often used in lethal injections to follow the example of the British government and introduce strict export controls.
We urge the UN Human Rights Council:
– to establish an annual black list of countries where the death penalty has been retained
– not to elect countries which still implement the death penalty as members of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Thank You.
