The Italian Chamber of Representatives opened the debate...

The Italian Chamber of Representatives opened the debate on four motions regarding the presentation of a resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions at the ongoing UN General Assembly by the Italian EU presidency.
Motions were tabled by Enrico Buemi of the Italian Social Democrats (SDI), Andrea Ronchi of the rightist National Alliance (AN - a member of the governing coalition), Valerio Calzolaio of the Democrats of the Left party (DS) and Giuseppe Naro of the Democratic Union for Europe (UDEUR).
Speaking on behalf of the government, state Under-Secretary for Parliamentary Relations Cosimo Ventucci, recalled the occasions in which Foreign Minister Franco Frattini put forward the proposal to the European partners and the objections raised by some countries, including the risk of failure, that led EU member states to object to the presentation of the moratorium resolution by either the EU or Italy.
The presentation of the resolution by Italy would have been "in contrast with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) rules on co-ordination," Ventucci said.
Italy will not therefore present the moratorium resolution at the UN General Assembly, but will "in the coming days at New York, in the name of the EU member states and acceding countries, appeal to retentionist countries to introduce a moratorium," Ventucci said.
He also announced that Italy will commit itself to increase the number of co-sponsors of the resolution that the EU will once again present in the coming spring at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. Moreover, it will request that the European partners take "concrete initiatives in all countries that retain the death penalty."
Enrico Buemi (SDI), Roberto Giachetti (MARGH-U), Renzo Innocenti (DS-U), Giuseppe Naro (UDC), and Andrea Ronchi (AN) all intervened in the debate in favour of the moratorium resolution