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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">November 25, 2005 <i>(3:10 p.m. EST)</i><br>
No. 238</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">CANADA SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TOWARD
ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler today
announced Canada’s accession to a UN treaty that confirms its continued opposition to
the death penalty. The treaty, the Second Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, is
considered the most significant international legal instrument relating specifically to the
death penalty. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Becoming a party to the treaty is part of Canada’s effort to send a clear message on
this important human rights issue,” said Minister Pettigrew. “Canada opposes the death
penalty and we support the international trend toward its abolition. We urge all states
that retain the death penalty to abolish it or to impose a moratorium on its use, and to
become parties to the Second Optional Protocol.” </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada has been abolitionist in practice for decades—no one has been executed in
Canada since 1962,” said Minister Cotler. “By acceding to the UN treaty, we not only
formalize our long-standing support for the abolition of the death penalty, but take our
place at the forefront of the international struggle toward abolition.”</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Second Optional Protocol requires that states abolish the death penalty and not
execute anyone within their jurisdiction. Canada voted in favour of the treaty when it
was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 29, 1989. It entered into force
on July 11, 1991. There are now 56 states (including Canada) that are parties to the
Second Optional Protocol and another eight which have signed but not ratified.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Canada has been a consistently strong voice for the protection of human rights from its
central role in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1947 and
1948 to its work at the UN today. Canada is a party to all six major international human
rights conventions: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; the Convention Against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and
the Convention on the Rights of the Child. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">- 30 -</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">James Christoff<br>
Press Secretary<br>
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs<br>
(613) 995-1851</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs Canada <br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220185635/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Marc Chalifoux<br>
Press Secretary<br>
Office of the Minister of Justice<br>
(613) 992-4621</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Media Relations Office<br>
Department of Justice Canada<br>
(613) 957-4207</span></span></span></p>
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