THE DEATH PENALTY: HANDS OFF CAIN AT THE UNITED NATIONS WITH OLIVIERO TOSCANI

Rome April 18, 2001: an exceptional witness for ‘Hands Off Cain’ at the UN Commission on Human Rights: on Thursday 19th April , in the delegates Assembly hall, Oliviero Toscani, the renowned photographer who this year realised the provocative advertising campaign “We on death row”, will intervene to sustain Hands Off Cain’s campaign for a moratorium on capital executions at the UN.
Main stages in campaignApril 3, 1997: the UN commission on Human Rights approved an historic resolution against the death penalty with 27 votes in favour, 11 against and 14 abstentions. The resolution, which had been presented by the Italian government and was co-sponsored by 47 other countries, originated by way of initiatives by Hands Off Cain and the Italian Parliament. For the first time a UN body had recognised the question of the death penalty as a matter relevant to Human Rights; it considered its abolishment as reinforcing human dignity and as a step towards fundamental rights; it asked member states to suspend executions in light of eventually abolishing them. April 3, 1998: the Commission on Human Rights approved a resolution for a moratorium on executions, with 26 votes in favour, 13 against and 12 abstentions, which was to pave the way for its total abolition. There were 65 sponsoring countries to the resolution, 18 more than the previous year. April 28, 1999: the UN Commission on human Rights approved the resolution against the death penalty, which for the first time had not just been presented by Italy but by the whole of the European Union. The resolution co-sponsored by 72 countries, as opposed to 47 in ’97 and 65 in ’98 was approved by an absolute majority with 30 votes in favour, 11 against and 12 abstentions. In November ’99 the European initiative against the death penalty was dealt a severe blow at the UN General Assembly. The resolution, promoted by Finland in the name of the European Union and backed by 72 countries, was first presented then withdrawn. Egypt and Singapore presented two amendments, backed by 72 countries, affirming two different principles which were already contained in the UN Charter: every state has the right to chose its own political, social and cultural systems and the UN must not interfere with nations’ internal matters. Mexico, to try and counterbalance the references to national sovereignty, proposed to introduce modifications to the text recalling the UN’s role in the promotion and respect for human rights within states. The European Union rejected Mexico’s mediation and decided not to submit the resolution for a moratorium to the vote of the General Assembly.April 26, 2000: the UN Commission for Human Rights approved the resolution presented by the European union but co-sponsored only by 68 countries, the resolution had 27 votes in favour, 13 against and 12 abstentions. This vote enabled the European Union to redeem itself from the vote passed at the UN General Assembly in New York in 1999.