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Special Publication: The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area; Background Paper 2009 - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
The European Union (EU) is opposed to the death penalty in all cases and has consistently espoused its universal abolition, working towards this goal. In countries that maintain the death penalty, the EU aims at the progressive restriction of its scope and respect for the strict conditions set forth in several international human rights instruments, under which capital punishment may be used, as well as at the establishment of a moratorium on executions so as to eliminate the death penalty completely. The EU is deeply concerned about the increasing number of executions in the United States of America (USA), all the more since the great majority of executions since reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 have been carried out during the 1990s through today. The following collection of documents includes key policy statements by the EU, actions on specific death row cases in the US and links to international and other agreements cited in the various documents.
EU Policy Documents:
- WORLD & EUROPEAN DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY: OCTOBER 10, 2009: EU Declaration on 7th World Day & 3rd European Day against the Death Penalty; EU Remains Activist in Abolishing the Death Penalty, October 9. 2009; EU Policy on the Death Penalty; EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty; Background on EU Policy on the Death Penalty, September-October 2009; More; Joint Statement of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) on October 10, World Day against the Death Penalty and World Mental Health Day
- World & European Day against the Death Penalty, Oct. 10, 2008: Joint European Declaration; Text; EU Presidency Statement; EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner; European Parliament President
- Guidelines to EU Policy Toward Third Countries on the Death Penalty, Council of the European Union, Revised 2008
- BACKGROUND on EU Policy on the Death Penalty, September 2008
- Iran Death Penalty (2/7/08)
- European Day against the Death Penalty, October 10 (12/7/07)
- EU United against Capital Punishment (10/9/07)
- EU Insight: The European Union: Leading the Fight Against Capital Punishment
- EU Seeks European Day against the Death Penalty (6/19/07)
- EU Death Penalty Video (2007)
- EU Leaflet: "Death Has No Appeal" (2007)
- 3rd World Congress against the Death Penalty, Paris: EU Statement; European Parliament Resolution (1/31/07)
- Declaration by the Presidency on Behalf of the European Union to Mark the Entry into Force of Protocol No. 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights, Concerning the Abolition of the Death Penalty in All Circumstances, July 14, 2003
- First World Congress Against the Death Penalty: Intervention at the Council of Europe, on Behalf of External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, Delivered by Angel Viñas, Director for Multilateral Relations and Human Rights, External Relations Directorate General, European Commission, Strasbourg, June 21, 2001
- EU Demarche on the Death Penalty, Presented to the US Administration on May 10, 2001
- EU Demarche on the Death Penalty, Presented to United States Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights, Frank Loy, on February 25, 2000
- EU Memorandum on the Death Penalty, February 25, 2000
- Excerpts from a Statement Delivered by the Rt. Hon Christopher Patten, EU Commissioner for External Relations to the European Parliament, 16 February 2000
Action in the United Nations
- EU Welcomes UN Vote Calling for a Global Moratorium on the Death Penalty (11/16/07); United Nations Multilateral Resolution Calling for a Moratorium on the Death PenaltyUN General Assembly Resolution Adopted; EU External Relations Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner (12/19/07) (11/1/07);
- 54th UN General Assembly, Excerpt from the Speech by Minister for Foreign
- Affairs Tarja Halonen, Presidency of the European Union, September 21, 1999
- 54th UN General Assembly, Excerpts from the Memorandum by the European Union, September 21, 1999
- 56th Session, UN Commission on Human Rights, Resolution on the Death Penalty Sponsored by the European Union, April 2000
- 55th Session, UN Commission on Human Rights, Resolution on the Death Penalty, Sponsored by the European Union, April 1999
- 55th Session, UN Commission on Human Rights, Resolution on the Rights of the Child, Sponsored by the Group of the Latin American and the Caribbean States and the European Union, April 1999
Action on US Death Row Cases:
2010
- Kevin Keith v. Ohio: EU Letter to Ohio Govenor T. H. Ted Strickland, August 25, 2010
- Cal Coburn Brown v. Washington State: EU Ambassador Vale de Almeida's Letter to Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire, August 11, 2010
- Holly Wood v. Alabama: EU Ambassador Vale de Almeida's Letter to Alabama Governor Bob Riley, August 11, 2010
- International Court of Justice (ICJ) - Avena Judgment, 2004 (José Ernesto Medellin v. Texas): EU Washington Delegation Head João Vale de Almeida's Letter to US Senate Appropriations Committee - State, Foreign Operations & Related Programs Subcommittee Chair Senator Patrick Leahy, July 27, 2010; EU Foreign Affairs & Security Policy High Rep./European Commission VP Catherine Ashton's Letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Avena Judgment & Vienna Convention on Consular Rights (VCCR), July 2, 2010; José Ernesto Medellín, Petitioner, v. Doug Dretke, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division, Respondent. On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit; Brief of Amici Curiae; The European Union & Members of the International Community in Support of Petitioner, October 20, 2004; EU on Mr. Medellin's Execution, August 11, 2008; Urgent Appeal to Texas Governor Rick Perry, August 4, 2008; Letter to Texas Governor Rick Perry, July 16, 2008; For earlier actions, please see 2007, 2005 & 2004
- David Lee Powell v. Texas: EU Statement on the Execution of David Lee Powell, June 16, 2010; EU Letter to Texas Governor Rick Perry; EU Letter to Texas Board of Pardons & Paroles, May 25, 2010; EU OSCE Statement, May 27, 2010
- Ronnie Lee Gardner v. Utah: EU Letter to Utah Board of Pardons & Paroles, May 11, 2010; EU Letter to Utah Governor Gary L. Heibert, May 12, 2010; EU Statement to OSCE, May 13, 2010, Statement on the Execution of Mr. Ronnie Lee Gardner, June 18, 2010
- Richard Smith v. Oklahoma: EU Letter to Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, April 15, 2010; EU on Commutation of Death Sentence, May 20, 2010
- Jack Harold Jones v. Arkansas: EU Letter to Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe; Letter to Arkansas Parole Board, February 8, 2010; Statement at OSCE, February 11, 2010
Earlier Cases: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998-1999
European and International Agreements:
Council of Europe, Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Concerning the Abolition of the Death Penalty, as Amended by Protocol No. 11
Organization of American States, Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty
United Nations
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