UN moves to halt the death penalty worldwide

[ChristineMarie]

New York, UN - The UN will next week vote on a resolution calling for a worldwide suspension of the use of the death penalty.

The Pan African News Agency (PANA) at the UN, reports that Singapore, which applies the death penalty most, led the pack of nations in moving the resolution.

A UN source told PANA at the weekend that "about 81 of the 192 UN members support the resolution''.

The source said: "the resolution calls for countries which still have the death penalty to introduce a moratorium or a suspension, with a view to abolishing the practice''.

PANA learnt that so far 132 countries have already banned the death penalty and only 25 of them carried out executions last year.

http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/daily-news/un-moves-to-halt-the-death-penalty-worldwide-2007111011142/

[ChristineMarie]

However, the EU resolution is facing strong opposition from the Arab world and also other countries where capital punishment is still on the statute book. The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), the League of Arab States, China and some of the Caribbean and Asian countries are opposing this resolution. When the EU tables the draft resolution, it is likely to be resisted by many countries which have death penalty on their statute books and which do not view death penalty as a human rights issue but as an issue dealing with law and order. India is also non-committal on its stand on the resolution.

Singapore, which has been consistently and vocally advocating the death penalty, believes the EU resolution will be "divisive." Singapore Ambassador Vanu Gopala Menon suggested that under the circumstances, it will be best for the EU not to try to push ahead with its draft. He argued such a resolution will only "sour the atmosphere" in the Third Committee, which will discuss and vote on the resolution before it goes to the General Assembly and "cause unnecessary divisiveness in the house."

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=127649

[ChristineMarie]

Pakistani UN contingent in Haiti honoured

Members of Pakistan’s 1st Battalion of the UN stabilization force was awarded the United Nations peacekeeping medal at a ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Friday, according to a UN press release.

The decoration was in recognition of their efforts, under the United Nations flag, in the service of consolidating peace in Haiti, said a UN press release The 1st Battalion of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) has been serving in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) since December 2006, the press release said.

The FPU is based in Cazeau, an area close to the once violence-prone Cité Soleil neighborhood. Alongside the Brazilian peacekeepers, the Pakistani FPU was the first to enter and intervene in this difficult area of the nation’s capital. In fact, the FPU is especially trained and equipped to undertake such high-risk operations.

The FPU conducts foot and motorized patrols in the different areas of Port-au-Prince both day and night, it said. Furthermore, the Pakistani peacekeepers work hand-in-hand with the Haitian National Police (HNP) to establish checkpoints and to conduct house to house searches for the bandits who have undermined the rule of law in the country.

http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20635&Itemid=2

[ChristineMarie]

125 Chinese police to join UN peacekeeping force


125 Chinese riot police have been chosen as the sixth group of China's Special Police Unit for the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti. UN officials are at a training center in Hebei province, 50 kilometers south of Beijing, to watch them go through their paces.

This drill is to prepare the Chinese peacekeepers for their December assignment in Haiti.

The UN peacekeeping official present was very satisfied with their team work.

http://www.cctv.com/english/20071107/102047.shtml

[ChristineMarie]

New Haitian police recruits receive training from UN officers

More than 600 newly inducted Haitian national police recruits will form a unit devoted to tackling the capital’s most troubled neighbourhoods after receiving training from United Nations Police (UNPOL) officers stationed in the Caribbean country.

The 627 recruits, who include 86 women, received nine months of training from both UNPOL officers and other Haitian national police staff before receiving their diplomas at a graduation ceremony yesterday, the UN peacekeeping mission to Haiti (MINUSTAH) reported.

Almost all of the recruits will form a new motorized brigade tasked with responding rapidly – using motorcycles and other vehicles – to any situations in Port-au-Prince’s most difficult districts, such as Cité Soleil and Martissant, which have been plagued by armed gangs.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24573&Cr=haiti&Cr1=

[PrincessofHeaven]

does this include the US to stop the death penalty as well?

[ChristineMarie]

no..this goes along with the whole peaceful kumba ya mentality