ITALIAN FM PLEDGES TO CONTINUE WORKING TOWARDS MORATORIUM

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini made the announcement during a session of the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.
Italy considers the commitment to achieve a worldwide moratorium on executions “absolutely strategic” Minister Frattini said, adding that he was to send a note to all European governments to inform them of the outcome of the consultations held on Monday with the partners on this issue. This initiative is aimed towards “giving more certainties with regard to the surveys carried out on individual state positions.” On the initiative of the Italian presidency, the EU Foreign Ministers once again discussed the possibility of proposing a resolution at the UNGA for a worldwide moratorium on executions.
The issue had also been discussed at the previous EU General Affairs Council on September 29 in Brussels.

HOC BLASTS DELAY ON PRESENTATION ON MORATORIUM RESOLUTION

October 13, 2003: on the conclusion of the General Affairs Council relative to the presentation of a resolution for moratorium on the death penalty to the UN General assembly by the EU, as reported by the term-president, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, HOC’s General-Secretary Sergio D’Elia declared:
“With this further postponement, not only is the delay now grave and probably irretrievable with regard to the adoption of a moratorium resolution by the ongoing UN General Assembly, but the time technically available to present this resolution is being consumed in the effort to achieve a European consensus.
“Since the beginning of this year we have presented the Italian government with a plan of action to win this fight at the UN level and also – we’d like to publicly highlight this fact – with the information, assessments and forecasts on a vote at the GA. “The Italian presidency took note, but for months echoed manifestly unfounded fears and pessimistic evaluations.
“Thus, with a good ten months delay, after our persistence, the motions approved by the Italian and European parliaments and the definite support expressed by Commission President Romano Prodi, the Italian Foreign Ministry has verified the precision of our forecasts and – only today – has begun to transmit them to other European governments. Over a month has passed since the start of the General Assembly and resolutions should have been tabled a fair while ago.
“Technically there is still time to present a resolution to the ongoing General Assembly but the unprecedented behaviour of the Italian government now risks, with every day that goes by, compromising a goal and a cause that are absolute winners.
“Hands Off Cain and the Transnational Radical Party have so far vainly tried to salvage a situation that the Italian government apparently cannot do otherwise but put in jeopardy every day.”