In his speech at the UN, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi,...

In his speech at the UN, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, speaking on behalf of the EU as current Presidency holder, asked for the universal abolition of the death penalty and for a general moratorium on executions.
"I reiterate our strong support for achieving a universal abolition of the death penalty. In recent years important progress has been made in this direction, thanks in part to civil society," the Premier said addressing the UN General Assembly. "Abolition is our primary goal. Where capital punishment continues to exist, however, we are requesting that its application be impeded through a general moratorium on executions.
"The European Union," added the Premier, "considers the International Criminal Court to be a new instrument with great powers of deterrence and reiterates its full support for the Court and its universalisation. The EU is and will always remain committed to the promotion and protection of all human rights and all the fundamental freedoms."
On Silvio Berlusconi's UN stance, Hands Off Cain Secretary Sergio D'Elia declared:
"The comments made on the death penalty by the current Presidency holder of the EU can either be interpreted negatively or positively. We will see by the facts, that is to say if in the next few days the Italian government will present at the ongoing UN General Assembly, on behalf of the EU or of member states which would like to undersign it, a resolution for a universal moratorium on capital executions in view of the complete abolition of the death penalty.
The speech is insufficient, it can mean everything and nothing: a resolution is needed."