20 October 2015 – The Philippines joined seventeen other countries in calling for the worldwide abolition of capital punishment through a Joint Declaration in commemoration of the 4th World Day against the Death Penalty, signed by Secretary Albert F. del Rosario and his counterparts on October 10.
The Joint Declaration aims to foster an open and constructive dialogue between abolitionist and rejectionist countries. This year’s theme focuses on Drugs and Crime and has one central message – International support for abolition is continuing to grow, driven by an increasing awareness of the death penalty’s inherent risks and shortcomings.
The Joint Declaration reinforces the Philippines’ commitment to uphold its international obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its Second Optional Protocol. This advocacy to ensure that the “right to life” of every human being is respected was reflected once again when the Philippines, along with 95 countries, co-sponsored a resolution calling for a universal moratorium on the death penalty during the 69th UN General Assembly in December 2014. END