UN Global Panel on "Moving away from the death penalty - Lessons from national experiences"

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights presents its compliments to non-governmental organisations and permanent missions to the United Nations and has the honour to extend an invitation to participate at the Global Panel on "Moving away from the death penalty- Lessons from national experiences," that will be held on 3 July 2012 from 10:00 to 14:30 hours at Conference Room No. 2 of United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

The proposed global panel is intended to inform discussion among Member States in advance of this year's General Assembly debate on the moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The event will consist of two sessions. The first session will focus on those Member States that have recently taken positive initiatives in respect of the abolition of the death penalty. The second session will examine the human rights dimensions of the application of the death penalty in those Member States retaining it.            

Programme 

OHCHR Global Panel: "Moving away from the death penalty - Lessons from national experiences"

 United Nations Headquarters, New York

North Lawn Building - Conference Room 2

3 July 2012

10:00-10:10              Opening remarks by Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General

10:10-10:20              Remarks by Ms. Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights

10:20-11:45              First Session - Experiences of Member States on the abolition of the death penalty

Chair:  Mr. Ivan Šimonović, Assistant Secretary-General

Speakers 

H.E. Dr. Sea Kosal, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia      

Mr. Valentin Bagorikunda, Prosecutor-General of the Republic of Burundi

Ms. Blanca Aída Stalling Dávila, Director-General of El Instituto de la Defensa Pública Penal of Guatemala  

Mr. Federico Mayor, President, International Commission against the Death Penalty

11:45-12:30              Open discussion

12:30-13:45              Second Session: Human rights dimensions of the application of the death penalty in States retaining it

Chair:  Professor Christof Heyns, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

Speakers

Mr. Kirk Bloodsworth, victim of wrongful conviction and death sentence, USA

Mr. Barry C. Scheck, Co-Director, The Innocence Project, New York

Mr. Douglas Mendes, Justice, Belize Court of Appeal and the President of the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights

Ms. Maiko Tagusari, Secretary-General, Center for Prisoners' Rights, Japan

Mr. Cousin Zilala, Executive Director of Amnesty International, Zimbabwe

13:45- 14:30             Open discussion

14:30-16:30              Reception, West Delegates' Lounge, North Lawn Building

| Arriba |

• Día Europeo y Mundial contra la Pena de Muerte: la UE reitera su compromiso con la abolición universal de la pena capital (10/10/2012)
• EU marks 10th Anniversary of World and European Day against the Death Penalty (9/10/2012)
• EU HR Ashton welcomes Thailand's decision to abolish death penalty for juvenile offenders (10/9/2012)
• UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights holds global panel on "Moving away from the death penalty - Lessons from national experiences" (3/7/2012)
• Stepping up EU human rights activities worldwide (25/6/2012)
• EU-Council of Europe Joint Declaration on the European and World Day against the Death Penalty - 10 October 2011 (10/10/2011)
• EU committed to achieving universal abolition of the death penalty  (10/10/2011)
• EU marks European and World Day Against the Death Penalty - 10 October 2011 (6/10/2011)