UN Human Rights Council adopts Swiss resolution on the death penalty
Bern, 26.06.2014 - Today, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the death penalty tabled by Switzerland and seven other countries. With this initiative Switzerland aims to show that the death penalty, regardless of the way it is applied, invariably entails human rights violations. This is a new approach in the long-standing discussion on the abolition of the death penalty.
In the resolution initiated by Switzerland that was adopted today, the Human Rights Council stresses that the death penalty can entail numerous human rights violations. Although the death penalty is not currently banned in international law, Switzerland and its partners want to show with their initiative that the death penalty, regardless of the way it is applied, invariably entails human rights violations. This new approach to the long-standing discussion on the abolition of the death penalty complements the ongoing efforts to establish a moratorium on carrying out death sentences. The resolution adopted today is intended to give impetus to a process of reflection and dialogue that ideally will lead to an international consensus in the coming years calling for the abolition of the death penalty. The resolution requests both a report by the UN Secretary-General on the negative effects of the death penalty on the human rights of people sentenced to death and their friends and families, and the holding of regular debates on the death penalty. With this step the abolition of the death penalty becomes a fixed, long-term item on the Human Rights Council's work programme. The worldwide abolition of the death penalty is a priority of Swiss human rights foreign policy.
In the last three weeks the council also debated problematical human rights situations in various countries, in particular in Syria, North Korea, Belarus, Eritrea and the Central African Republic. Switzerland continues to be very concerned about the human rights situation in Syria. It is satisfied that the need for the criminal prosecution of violations of international humanitarian law and of human rights is being emphasised in the debates on Syria and that the important role of the International Criminal Court is being clearly stated. Switzerland has consistently advocated this issue from the beginning of the Syrian conflict.
Improvements to the human rights situations in countries with problematical records is a priority of Switzerland's activities within the Human Rights Council. For example, Switzerland has assumed a leading role in observing and assessing the situation in Bahrain. On behalf of the 47 states, it called on the Government of Bahrain to cooperate more closely with the Human Rights Council mechanisms and to improve the human rights situation in the country through specific measures. At the same time, concrete progress was acknowledged.
Another priority of this session was the human rights of women and children. Switzerland argued especially in favour of equal opportunities and fighting discrimination against women, in particular the eradication of gender stereotypes, the fight against early and forced marriages and the practice of genital mutilation of girls and women.
This was the last session for the current UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. The Jordanian diplomat, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, was appointed to succeed her. He will be the first Muslim UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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