On February 24, 2010, representatives from international organisations (UN, Francophonie, European institutions) and those states most advanced in the fight against the death penalty – including Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Benin – will express their support for the abolitionist community as it gathers in Geneva.
After that energising opening session, hard work awaits the participants: the scientific programme of the World Congress includes 22 round tables, plenary sessions and workshops over three days.
Among those meetings intended to give opponents to the death penalty an opportunity to exchange and build strategies, three will be dedicated to the campaigns directly co-ordinated by the World Coalition.
On Thursday, January 25 at 9:15am, the workshop on “Coalitions development” will lay emphasis on the grounds and means for abolitionists to organise at the national and regional levels. The strengthening of networks that reinforce activists’ capacities and reduce their isolation has been one of the World Coalition’s objectives since its foundation.
At 11am, another workshop on “Abolitionists States' advocacy” will focus on the links to be established with those countries that are willing to promote abolition, as the World Coalition has been doing as part as its campaign for the ratification of the UN Protocol on the abolition of the death penalty.
Finally, following the 2009 World Day Against the Death Penalty on “Teaching abolition”, another workshop will look at how to “share educational tools” on Friday, February 26 at 9.15am.
Participants to the World Congress will also enjoy a rich cultural programme including three artistic evenings and several exhibitions. Those by photographer Lucinda Devlin and press cartoonists’ group Cartooning for Peace have already opened in Geneva.

See the full programme of the World Congress
Register here (free admission after online registration only)