At
the same time, in Rome, the Colosseum was lit up in a special
golden light to underlrline this exceptional event.
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL REMARKS ON RECEIVING THE PETITION
OF THE
MORATORIUM 2000 CAMPAIGN
New York, 18 December 2000
Sister
Helen,
Mr.
Hoffman,
Signor
Marazziti,
Ladies and
Gentlemen:
I
am deeply moved, as well as pleased, to accept this petition for a
universal moratorium on executions, signed by over three million
people in over 130 countries around the world.
On
behalf of the United Nations, I accept your petition, and I
congratulate all those who have worked so hard to collect so many
signatures. I wish it were in my power to grant their wish,
and by so doing to save the lives of thousands of men and women.
Some
of those men and women are innocent - awaiting execution for crimes
which they did not commit. Others have been condemned for offences
which in other countries would carry a much lesser penalty, or
might not be crimes at all. Many, however - perhaps the majority -
are guilty of taking the lives of others.
The
question is, can the taking of one human life justify taking
another? Can the State, which represents the whole of society and
has the duty of protecting society, fulfil that duty by lowering
itself to the level of the murderer, and treating him as he treated
others?
Those
who have signed this petition believe not. They believe the
murderer�s death does not expunge his crime, but adds another
crime to it.
Within
the family of nations, many have not yet accepted that belief. Many
still hold that the right to life can be forfeited by those who take
life, just as their right to liberty can be abridged.
I
know that that view is strongly held by many persons of wisdom and
integrity, and I respect their right to hold it. Indeed, the matter
is one on which Member States of the United Nations are deeply
divided. There is, however an Optional Protocol to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the
abolition of the death penalty, which was adopted and proclaimed by
the General Assembly exactly eleven years ago. Forty-three States
are already parties to it, and seven more have signed it.
If
I may be permitted to express a personal view, I believe that those
States are right. The forfeiture of life is too absolute, too
irreversible, for one human being to inflict it on another, even
when backed by legal process. And I believe that future generations,
throughout the world, will come to agree.
It
is tragic that, while the nations debate this problem, people
continue to be executed. When the change comes, it will be too late
for them. And therefore I join you in appealing for a world-wide
moratorium. Let the States that still use the death penalty stay
their hand, lest in time to come they look back with remorse,
knowing it is too late to redeem their grievous mistake.
Only
sovereign States have the power to grant your petition. I pray that
they will do so.
Thank
you very much.
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