Tokyo, October 31st, 2013 - Confernce: NO JUSTICE WITHOUT LIFE - Europe against the Death Penalty

  COMMUNTY OF SANT’EGIDIO                                                                 EUROPEAN COMMISSION

NO JUSTICE WITHOUT LIFE

Europe against the Death Penalty – Join the discussion

Tokyo, October 31^st, 2013

House of Representatives - First Members’ Office Bldg. 1F

Congress Hall - 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

The World is changing...

… Japan is a Partner we want closer and closer...

… There is a Need to create more Bridges!

Joint Appeal of 42 European Ministers

for the Abolition of the Death Penalty

Justice which kills is not justice. Convinced of the inhumanity of the death penalty, the signatory countries represented here are opposed to its application in any circumstances and in any part of the world.

The death penalty is not only an intolerable affront to human dignity, but its implementation involves numerous violations of human rights of prisoners and their families. In addition, capital punishment has no positive impact on the prevention of crime or safety in any way and can not remedy the suffering of the victims and their families.

The abolition of capital punishment is the result of a progressive awareness of a collective effort and constant. This is the path that countries that still carry out executions in the name of justice must take. The determination necessary to achieve the abolition of the death penalty must come from both states by individuals. Thanks to an informed debate and to the fluid exchange of ideas between our countries and our societies the death penalty has now been almost entirely abolished in Europe.

We are entering a crucial phase in the process of abolition of the death penalty. Currently, about 50 countries still apply the death penalty, while only twenty years ago were more than twice. This positive trend allows us to imagine that the next generation will live in a world without the death penalty and encourages us in our common effort to support countries in their journey towards its universal abolition.

The following Foreign Ministers signed the Appeal:

Ditmir Bushati (Albania), Gilbert Saboya Sunyé (Andorra), Michael Spindelegger (Austria), Didier Reynders (Belgium), Zlatko Lagumdžija (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Kristian Vigenin (Bulgaria), Ioannis Kasoulides (Cyprus), Vesna Pusić (Croatia), Villy Søvndal (Denmark), Urmas Paet (Estonia), Nikola Poposki (Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia), Erkki Tuomioja (Finland), Laurent Fabius (France), Guido Westerwelle (Germany), Evangelos Venizelos (Greece), Eamon Gilmore (Ireland), Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson (Island), Emma Bonino (Italy), Edgars Rinkēvičs (Latonya), Aurelia Frick (Liechtenstein), Linas Antanas Linkevičius (Lithuanian), Jean Asselborn (Luxembourg), George Vella (Malta), Natalia Gherman (Moldova), José Badia (Principality of Monaco), Igor Lukšić (Montenegro), Espen Barth Eide (Norway), Frans Timmermans (Netherlands), Rui Machete (Portugal), William Hague (United Kingdom), Jan Kohout (Czech Republic), Miroslav Lajčák (Slovak Republic), Titus Corlățean (Romania), Pasquale Valentini (San Marino), Ivan Mrkić (Serbia), Karl Erjavec (Slovenia), José Manuel García-Margallo (Spain), Carl Bildt (Sweden), Didier Burkhalter (Switzerland), Ahmet Davutoğlu (Turkey), Leonid Kozhara (Ukraine) e János Martonyi (Hungary).

… From Europe to Tokyo …
… to meet with parliamentarians, journalists, Japanese citizens …

… In an open and respectful discussion.

Thursday, October 31^st, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
House of Representatives - First Members’ Office Bldg. 1F - Congress Hall

PART I

Introduction

Alberto  QUATTRUCCI
Secretary General of Peoples and Religions, Community of Sant’Egidio

Key-note addresses

Mario MARAZZITI
Chairman of the Committee for Human Rights to the Italian House of Representatives

Shizuka KAMEI
Member of the House of Representatives of Japan

PART II

Moderator

Pio D’EMILIA
East Asia Correspondent, Sky TG24

Interventions

Mizuho FUKUSHIMA
Member of the House of Councilors of Japan

Nobuto HOSAKA
Mayor of Setagawa

Curtis MC CARTHY
Innocent, exonerated after spending 20 years of his life on Oklahoma Death Row, USA

Yuji OGAWARA
Secretary General of JFBA's Committee on Abolition of the Death Penalty

Hans Dietmar SCHWEISGUT (to be confirmed)
Ambassador of the European Union to Japan

Kaoru TASHIRO
Member of the House of Councilors of Japan

Other contributions are expected…

PART III

Screening of images about the work for
the Abolition of the Death Penalty in the World

Conclusions

Mario MARAZZITI
Chairman of the Committee for Human Rights to the Italian House of Representatives

www.santegidio.org

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/c-santegidio-japan-n2013

For the accreditation of journalists and televisions:
Muneto Nikai – c.santegidio.japan@gmail.com

Please confirm your participation
(together with the number of persons with you) to:

ad2@ad-italia-tokyo.com