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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 30 July 2020, 88 of the 173 States parties to the ICCPR have ratified or acceded to its Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, most recently Angola (2 October 2019), the State of Palestine (18 March 2019), the Gambia (28 September 2018) and Madagascar (21 September 2017). Armenia has signed the Protocol (26 September 2019) but has not ratified it yet.
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS
For the coming year, the World Coalition identifed : Armenia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Congo, Fiji, Guinea, Kazakhstan, the Marshall Islands and Suriname. Congo and Suriname are considered priority countries for 2020.
The trend to ratification shows encouraging signs. Armenia is close to ratify the Protocol after having finally signed it in September 2019. In December 2019, the President of Kazakhstan instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start country's procedures to accede to the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR. More recently, in June 2020, the Senate of the Republic of the Congo approved a bill aiming at the ratification of Protocol.
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 organizations: 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 No. 13 to the European Convention concerning the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances
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 30 July 2020, 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 aceded 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 -
Good newsKazakhstan signs the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR
Kazakhstan signed on 23 September 2020 the Second Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Article by Louis Linel published on September 24th, 2020 -
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 -
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 abolishing the death penalty
On 18 March 2019, the State of Palestine acceded to the United Nations Treaty aimed to abolish the death penalty, becoming the 87th State Party to the ICCPR-OP2.
Article by Louis Linel, Aurélie Plaçais published on April 10th, 2019 -
Good NewsArmenia and Angola Commit to Irreversible Abolition
Armenia signed the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the abolition of the death penalty on 26 September 2019 and Angola ratified it on 2 October 2019.
Article by Aurelie Placais published on October 04th, 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 - Burkina Faso | English |
- Ratificationt Kit - Armenia | English |
- Ratification Kit for Parliamentarians | English |
- Ratificationt Kit - Burundi | English |
- Ratification Kit - Congo | English |
- See all documents
- Focus on
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World Day
18th World Day Against the Death Penalty: Access to counsel - A matter of life or death
On 10 October 2020, the World Day Against the Death Penalty will be dedicated to the right to effective legal representation for individuals who may face a death sentence.
