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ProtocolThe World Coalition's campaign in favour of the international and regional protocols on abolition
The World Coalition’s objective is the ratification of the international and regional protocols on the abolition of the death penalty by all the states that have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice.
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As of 20 June 2019, 87 of the 172 States parties to the ICCPR have ratified its Second Optional Protocol, most recently the State of Palestine, The Gambia and Madagascar.
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS
The ratification campaign targets ten countries for five years with two priority countries per year: Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Congo, Morocco, Armenia, Haiti, Suriname, Cambodia and Samoa.
5 THINGS YOU CAN DO
1- Spread the information! To increase the visibility around this campaign, we invite you to disseminate the Information Leaflet introducing the protocols on your organisation’s website, on social media or in your Newsletter
2- Write to policy-makers! Regardless of your organisation being in a target country or not, you can write official letters to advocate for the ratification by using the Lobbying Kit
3- Organise advocacy actions at capital levels! The meetings with government officials are often the most efficient means to convince policy-makers to ratify the Protocol, you may use information from the ratification kits
4- Mobilize local partners! Involve relevant national civil society, encourage the development of a national ratification strategy and participate to lobbying missions in the country using a Ratification Kit for Parliamentarians and other documents.
5- Work with international organisations: the UN, the Council of Europe, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights or the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
SUPPORTING REGIONAL PROTOCOLS
In addition to the focus on target countries, the World Coalition will also target a specific protocol each year, according to the following calendar:
2018: African Protocol: adoption by the African Union of a Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the abolition of the death penalty.
2019: UN Protocol: 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR
2020: American Protocol: 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights
2021: UN Protocol: 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR
2022: European Protocol: 20th anniversary of the adoption of Protocol 13 to the European Convention
SECURING ABOLITION IN LAW AFTER THE RATIFICATION
The World Coalition monitors respect for the provisions of the international and regional protocols, particularly in the case of States which ratified a protocol but have not abolished the death penalty in law. As of 20 June 2019, three countries are concerned: Liberia, the Gambia and the State of Palestine. Mongolia acceded to the Second Optional Protocol on 13 March 2012 and abolished the death penalty in law on 3 December 2015. Benin acceded to the Protocol on 5 July 2012 and abolished in January 2016.
PREVENTING THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
Finally, the campaign also focuses on the countries that threaten to adopt legislation that would allow for the return of the death penalty, after having ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, namely Turkey and the Philippines.
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ProtocolA universal tool with regional equivalents
The Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR is the only universal instrument aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, but there are also regional protocols for which the World Coalition is also campaigning
Article by Aurélie Plaçais published on April 02nd, 2013 -
ProtocolSecond 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 -
ProtocolGlossary 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 -
ProtocolThe 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 -
ProtocolMarc 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 -
ProtocolSecond 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 -
AsiaADPAN welcomes Mongolia’s decision abolish death penalty in law
Mongolia abolished the death penalty for all crimes in law on 3 December 2015 by adopting a new Criminal Code without any reference to capital punishment.
Article by ADPAN published on December 18th, 2015 -
ProtocolIrreversible abolition of the death penalty in Togo and the Dominican Republic
Both countries acceded mid-September to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the abolition of the death penalty.
Article by Guillaume Colin and Aurélie Plaçais published on September 27th, 2016 -
ProtocolSão Tomé and Príncipe ratifies OP2 and approves total and definitive abolition of the death penalty
On 10 January 2017, São Tomé and Príncipe ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty and became its 84th State party.
Article by Elise Guillot published on January 18th, 2017 -
Good NewsGambia commits to full abolition of the death penalty
On 28 September 2018, during the UN Treaty Event in New York, Gambia ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, aiming at the irreversible abolition of the death penalty, alongside the Convention Against Torture.
Article by Nicolas Chua published on October 26th, 2018 -
AfricaThe campaign for the abolition of the death penalty on the African continent
The World Coalition, FIACAT, FIDH and Ditshwanelo have partnered in a project that vectors the main objective of contributing to the abolition of the death penalty in sub-Saharan Africa.
Campaign published on December 09th, 2016 -
Good NewsGambia and Madagascar commit to irreversible abolition
On 20 and 21 September 2017, Gambia signed and Madagascar ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.
Article by Aurelie Placais published on September 22nd, 2017 -
ProtocolThe State of Palestine commits to abolish the death penalty
On 18 March 2019, the State of Palestine acceded to the United Nations Treaty aiming to abolish the death penalty, becoming the 87th State Party to the OP2-PIDCP.
Article by Louis Linel, Aurélie Plaçais published on April 10th, 2019
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- Keywords
- International law
- Attached documents
- Flyer for the UN Protocol Ratification Campaign | English |
- Status of signature and ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. | English |
- Lobbying Kit | English |
- Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty | English |
- Ratification Kit for Parliamentarians | English |
- Ratificationt Kit Angola | English |
- Ratification Kit - Cote d'Ivoire | English |
- Focus on
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World Day
17th World Day Against the Death Penalty: Children, Unseen Victims
On 10 October 2019, the 17th World Day Against the Death Penalty aims at raising awareness on the rights of children whose parents have been sentenced to death or executed.
