Madrid Declaration calls for immediate moratorium in Arab Countries
Statement
The objective of the seminar was to call for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty leading to potential abolition in Middle Eastern and North African countries.
Recalling the progresses already achieved at the recent conferences organized by World Coalition member organization Penal Reform International in Alexandria and Algiers, the participants adopted the Madrid Declaration.
The declaration, while attesting the steady progress made in some Arab countries, encourages Arab countries to implement the UN General Assembly’s Resolutions 62/149 and 63/168 in favour of a moratorium and provides enlarged support for the forthcoming UNGA Resolution on the same issue in 2010.
State secretary for international relations Angel Lossada introduced the seminar and described the ambition of the Spanish government to promote abolition in the world.
Many members and affiliates of the World Coalition actively contributed to high-level debates.
The coordinator of the World Coalition invited participants to take part in the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty (24-26 February 2010), the best venue to further the debate and work on the forthcoming UNGA vote aiming at a worldwide moratorium.
