The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, has welcomed the adoption by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights of a resolution against the death penalty. Paul Cullen reports.
The successful adoption of the resolution tabled by Ireland in its role as president of the EU showed the effectiveness of the EU's opposition to the death penalty, he said.
Twenty-eight states supported the resolution before the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva this week, more than supported any previous motion on the issue. Some 20 states voted against, including the US and China, and five abstained.
The resolution calls on states which maintain capital punishment to abolish the death penalty completely and, in the meantime, to establish a moratorium on executions.
Mr Cowen said yesterday the margin of victory demonstrated the effectiveness of the EU's policy of opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances.
"Ireland along with our EU partners consider that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights."
The successful adoption of the resolution was one of the human rights priorities identified for Ireland's EU presidency, he said.
Recent research shows that 129 of 191 UN member-countries either have abolished the death penalty or have carried out no executions in the past decade. Some 62 nations - most of them undemocratic - still use capital punishment.
According to Amnesty International, 1,146 people were executed in 28 countries in 2003. China carried out the most executions - at least 726 - followed by Iran (108) and the US (65).
The US representative at the Commission on Human Rights, Mr Jeffrey De Laurentis, argued that international law did not oppose capital punishment for the most serious crimes and when due process safeguards were respected.
The resolution also noted that in some countries trials resulting in execution fall below international standards and that ethnic or religious minorities may be disproportionately subjected to the punishment.
It urged countries not to im- pose the punishment on people below 18 years old, pregnant women, mothers with dependent children and the mentally ill.
Cuba dropped a call to the UN Commission on Human Rights to investigate allegations of US abuse of Guantanamo detainees because it believes the US and its allies were preparing a counter motion.
Havana accused some Latin American and European states of cowardice over the issue as it told the commission it was withdrawing a resolution expressing "deep concern" that detainees at the US naval base on the southeast tip of Cuba may be being deprived of rights under international law. - (Reuters)