Committee reports on Australia's efforts to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty

THE Human Rights Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) has tabled its report titled Inquiry into Australia’s efforts to advocate for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty.

Chair of the Subcommittee, Maria Vamvakinou MP, said, “Most stakeholders to the inquiry noted that progress has been made globally towards the abolition of the death penalty.

“However, in the current challenging geopolitical conditions, there are signs that specific groups are more likely to face the threat of the death penalty. We also heard there is a risk for states to backslide. Progress cannot, therefore, be taken for granted, and Australia has a critical role to play in advocating in a clear and consistent manner for the abolition of the death penalty—especially within our own region,” Ms Vamvakinou said.

This report makes seven recommendations aimed at Australia’s efforts in advocating for the abolition of the death penalty, including:

• the development of strategies to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty for drug related crimes;
• the development of a statement against the death penalty to be delivered annually;
• continued advocacy, including in partnership with like-minded abolitionist countries in the Asia-Pacific region;
• the development of a domestic education and awareness strategy; and
• provision of adequate funding for Civil Society Organisations to gather data on trends and current areas of concern.

The report is now available on the JSCFADT website.

 

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