“Moving away from the death penalty – the voices of victims’ families”
Bern, 29.09.2015 - New York, 29.09.2015 – Address by the Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter in the occasion of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly (Event by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) - Check against delivery
High Commissioner,
Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,
To begin with, I should like to thank Argentina, Benin, Fiji, France, Italy and Rwanda as well as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for having organised this discussion.
The death of a loved one is a painful, tragic event. It is therefore important that we listen to and offer as much support as possible to the families of the victims of crimes. We are sometimes led to think that the families and friends of victims harbour an ardent desire for vengeance, that justice will only be served in their eyes when the perpetrator is put to death. However, the families of victims are often more reasoned in their approach than those who are less directly affected – a reality amply illustrated by today’s panel.
Beyond the vociferous cries for retribution, our panellists are living proof that many victims’ families ultimately find greater comfort in forgiveness and compassion. Even if taking the life of a guilty party may sometimes temporarily appease deep and legitimate feelings of anger, such a deed can never be right or just. By raising their voices in protest against the inhumane punishment that is the death penalty, they are powerful advocates for our common cause. Victims’ families have a unique background and role to play in lending legitimacy to the global abolitionist movement.
The abolition of the death penalty is a priority of Swiss foreign policy in the field of human rights. Switzerland’s objective is the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, or at least a universal moratorium on its use, by 2025. We remain convinced that the death penalty fails to deter crime, is discriminatory and poses an inevitable risk of executing innocent people. Too often, the death penalty only serves to disguise our powerlessness in the face of tragedies that we would have wanted to prevent. Maintaining an open dialogue between retentionists and abolitionists while constantly reminding that capital punishment has proven to be a failure is the only way to someday achieve universal abolition of the death penalty.
In reading or listening to the news, you would be forgiven for thinking that the worldwide abolition of capital punishment has never been less likely, given that certain countries are starting to carry out executions again and a handful of others are applying the death penalty with greater zeal than ever. You would however be mistaken. We are happy to note that a sense of openness and willingness to dialogue continues to prevail at the global level. Thanks to four recent abolitions (Madagascar, Fiji, Suriname as well as the State of Nebraska in the United States), over 100 countries have now removed the death penalty from their legislation. Around 50 others have not used the death penalty for at least the last 10 years and are on their way towards abolishing it completely.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The global abolitionist movement needs political courage as much as visionary leadership. Our panellists’ dedication serves as an inspiration to defend the right to life and fight for a more humane and effective criminal justice system. The time is ripe for each and every one of us to summon the necessary vision and courage in working towards an objective that resonates with our common humanity: a world without the death penalty.
Based on this belief, Switzerland will again bring together a number of Foreign Ministers from around the world on 10 October 2015, the World Day against the Death Penalty, in order to launch a joint call for dialogue. The value of this initiative lies in its respectful, balanced and inclusive approach, given that some of its co-signatories represent countries that are still in the process of abolishing the death penalty.
Switzerland will continue to promote an open and constructive dialogue with countries that still apply the death penalty. The travelling exhibition “Windows on Death Row” provides a concrete example of the diversity of activities supported by Switzerland in cultivating a constructive dialogue. This exhibition, which will open on the 22nd of October in Los Angeles, gathers works of art from people sentenced to death as well as drawings by American cartoonists. Every country must map out its own route towards abolition. Some countries will reach their destination quickly, whereas the debate in other countries will be long and challenging –as was the case in Switzerland. We respect these differences and offer our support to all those who seek abolition, because the right to life is the most fundamental and universal of human rights.
Thank you.
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