Parliamentarians for Global Actions (PGA) welcomes the ratification on 19 March 2021 by the Government of Armenia of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (ICCPR-OP2), therefore becoming the 89th State Party to this instrument. The Second Optional Protocol will officially enter into force for Armenia on 18 June 2021.&
While the Constitution of Armenia already prohibits capital punishment and protects the right to life, through this ratification, Armenia officially makes the abolition of the death penalty irreversible.
As part of its Campaign for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, PGA supports the promotion of an international norm prohibiting the death penalty, notably through the support of the ratification, accession, or adoption of the ICCPR-OP2.PGA further proposes various resources for Parliamentarians wishing to follow the abolitionist path and ensure a criminal justice system that is as fair as possible. More information is available here.
About the Campaign for the Abolition of the Death Penalty
The goal of the campaign launched by PGA in 2013 is to ensure the right to life is upheld and to promote justice systems grounded in the rule of law, in line with SDG 16, particularly target 16.3. Parliamentarians have a crucial role to play in the movement to restrict the use of the death penalty and ultimately abolish it through drafting legislation; deliberating on national policies; and enlightening public opinion.
To date, PGA has successfully mobilized MPs from approximately 30 countries. Over the years, PGA members have:
- Contributed to reducing the scope of the death penalty, abolishing it altogether, blocking its reintroduction or the resumption of executions, or ratifying relevant international instruments in Malaysia, Uganda, and the Philippines.
- In the United States, PGA member Rep. Renny Cushing won a decades-long legislative battle to make New Hampshire the 21st US State to abolish the death penalty.
- Supported related initiatives in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, and Kenya.
