The World Coalition's campaign in favour of the UN Protocol on abolition

HomepageThe World Coalition's campaign in favour of the UN Protocol on abolition

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  The World Coalition's campaign in favour of the UN Protocol on abolition
  
  The World Coalition’s objective is the ratification of the United Nations Protocol on the abolition of the death penalty by all the states parties to the ICCPR that have abolished the death penalty, either for all crimes, or for ordinary crimes only.
- After a year of campaign, two target countries have ratified the Protocol: Brazil in late 2009 and Kyrgyzstan on 6 December 2010. The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty continues its ratification campaign in 2011 with an updated list of target countries.
  
  The target countries for the second year of campaign
  
  - January-February 2011, El Salvador and Dominican Republic
  - March-April 2011, Armenia and Poland
  - May-June 2011, Bolivia and Angola
  - September-October 2011, Latvia and Cambodia
  - November-December 2011, Burundi
  
  Tool kit for Lobbying Actions
  
  The members of the WCADP have a major role in this campaign. To help them, the Secretariat has produced several tools:
  - A Lobbying Kit
  - Ten Ratification Kits (one per target country)
  - An Information Leaflet
  - And other documents...
  
  Primary focus on abolitionist countries
  
  Although 104 States are abolitionists for ordinary crimes, only 73 have endorsed the UN Protocol as of 10 December 2010. In this context, the World Coalition drives a global campaign to inform, encourage universal ratification of the Protocol and have this “essential bolt to the door” against the death penalty.
  If a “critical mass” of States ratifies the Protocol, this will establish that the death penalty is an unquestionable violation of human rights, especially of the right to life.
  
  The first year of campaign
  
  The World Coalition officially launched its ratification campaign on 21 October 2009 with 8 target countries for the first year: Armenia, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia and Poland.
- World Coalition calls on Liberia to regain its leading abolitionist role
  
  Details have emerged on the recent enactment of legislation asserting the death penalty in Liberia. The World Coalition has offered authorities in Monrovia its support to put Liberia back on the path to abolition.
  
  Article published on October 02nd, 2008
- Uzbekistan becomes the 70th state party to the UN's Second Optional Protocol
  
  The former Soviet republic has confirmed its accession to the only international treaty abolishing the death penalty in an irreversible manner.
  
  Article published on December 17th, 2008
- Nicaragua makes abolition irreversible
  
  Nicaragua became the 71th state to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant for Civil and Politic Rights on 25 February 2009.
  
  Article published on March 04th, 2009
- Brasilia accedes to the UN's protocol on the abolition of the death penalty
  
  On September 25, Brazil became the 72nd state party to the international treaty that abolishes the death penalty without any possibility of reinstating it.
  
  Article published on September 29th, 2009
- UN Protocol campaign harnesses diplomatic power
  
  The World Coalition launched its action programme in favour of the UN Protocol to abolish the death penalty on 21 October in Geneva.
  
  Article published on November 04th, 2009
- Two countries asked to ratify the UN Protocol on abolition
  
  As part of the campaign in favour of the treaty on the abolition of the death penalty, Chile and Spain encouraged the Dominican Republic and the Ivory Coast to ratify the text.
  
  Article published on December 09th, 2009
- UN Protocol on death penalty turns 20
  
  For 20 years, the United Nations Protocol to abolish the death penalty has been the only universal treaty of worldwide scope to prohibit executions and secure universal abolition of the death penalty for all crimes.
  
  Article published on December 15th, 2009
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  Map: Second Optional Protocol Ratifications
  
  This map gives the status of States in relation to the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR on the abolition of the death penalty and indicates whether they have abolished the death penalty or not. As of 1st July 2011, it had been signed by 35 States and ratified by 73. The latest ratifications came from Brazil and Kyrgyzstan.
  
  Gallery published on July 01st, 2011
- Kyrgyzstan becomes 73rd country to pass irreversible abolition
  
  Following one year of lobbying led by the World Coalition, the Central Asian country has become a party to the UN protocol on the abolition of the death penalty.
  
  Article published on December 17th, 2010
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  Second Optional Protocol: Frequently Asked Questions
  
  What is it? How is it implemented? You will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Second Optional Protocol below.
  
  Article by Pierre Desert published on June 27th, 2008
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  Glossary of the Second Optional Protocol
  
  From "Acceptance" to "Treaty", discover the vocabulary of international law and get a clearer picture of the Second Optional Protocol.
  
  Article by Pierre Désert published on June 25th, 2008
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  The international responsibility of States
  
  When a State ratifies a treaty, it undertakes to respect the undertakings that it has made before the whole of the international community. If it fails to meets its obligations and goes against the provisions of the treaty, it can be held responsible at international level.
  
  Article by Pierre Désert published on June 25th, 2008
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  Second Optional Protocol: the only global treaty aiming at the abolition of the death penalty
  
  The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is an international covenant adopted in 1989 by the United Nations General Assembly. It aims to abolish the death penalty definitively.
  
  Article by Pierre Désert published on June 24th, 2008
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  Marc Bossuyt: “Countries that have not signed up to the Protocol should feel isolated”
  
  Marc Bossuyt was UN Special Rapporteur for drawing up the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. He is now president of Belgium's Constitutional Court.
  
  Article by Pierre Désert published on June 27th, 2008
- Liberia illegally restores the death penalty
  
  New Liberian legislation makes some violent crimes punishable by death, in violation of the country's international obligations.
  
  Article published on July 28th, 2008
- Keywords
- International law Trend Towards Abolition Right to life
- Focus on
- World Day 9th World Day Against the Death Penalty: the inhumanity of the death penalty
  On 10 October 2011, the 9th World Day is to raise awareness on the inhumanity of the death penalty throughout the entire process, from sentence to execution.
- Other Campaigns
- World Day 9th World Day Against the Death Penalty: the inhumanity of the death penalty
- Moratorium Helping the world achieve a moratorium on executions