The Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room of the Palais des Nations at the UN headquarters in Geneva is a grand place with a stunning ceiling sculpture commissioned by Spain.
On Wednesday, February 24, the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty opening in this grand chamber with speeches by, among other dignitaries, Enzo Scotti, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Italy; Gry Larsen, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs for Norway; Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the United Nations in Geneva; José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain and the incredible Robert Badinter, French Senator, Minister of Justice from 1981 to 1986, and author of the French abolitionist law.
In that lofty company, I had the honor of representing not only Death Penalty Focus and the US abolition movement, but the entire World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
During the three days at the International Conference Center in Geneva, close to 2000 abolitionists from around the world gathered to discuss abolition. I'll report to you about the Congress and about the US participants, including Sister Helen Prejean.
Stay tuned!
Elizabeth Zitrin is DPF's International Outreach and Communications Coordinator
Posted in Blog, International
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