On March 23, Germany introduced the question of the...

On March 23, Germany introduced the question of the death penalty at the Commission on Human Rights and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer declared in his inaugural speech: "Europeans believe that the death penalty can not be justified either ethically or legally?This year for the first time the EU will therefore submit a joint resolution on the death penalty, with which we intend to prevent at any rate the execution of minors or the mentally ill, enforcement before completion of ongoing procedures and extradition to countries where the death penalty is in force." The resolution was approved with an unprecedented 30 votes in favor, 11 against and 12 abstentions. Germany also cosponsored the resolution on the same issue presented by the European Union at the 54th UN General Assembly (A/C.3/54/L.8/Rev.1).