Italy’s Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema

MORATORIUM: ITALY AND GERMANY IN CHARGE OF WRITING RESOLUTION

May 14, 2007: at the end of the Meeting of EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Vice Premier Massimo D'Alema announced that the EU ministers have unanimously given Italy and the German presidency the task to prepare the text for the resolution on the moratorium for the death penalty, which is to be presented at the current UN General Assembly.
This represents a "success for Europe, where Italy played the most important role", D'Alema said.
The task given by the EU includes finding participants for a "cosponsorship" and making contact with the presidency of the UN Assembly so that the resolution can be presented at the current General Assembly.
"We're glad to say that the decision made by the EU member countries will turn the Italian initiative from a "solitary" project to one where Italy is sided by the German presidency." D'Alema said.
D'Alema also showed "gratitude" to Germany and the other EU countries that supported the Italian initiative and added that now it is time to work on the facts. "The decision has been made; now we have to prepare the resolution text, find "cosponsorships" and make contact with the presidency."
As for the timing of the initiative, D'Alema reminded of his will to have this matter included in the current UN General Assembly's agenda. "Hopefully all regulatory conditions will come about and the presidency will allow this matter to be included in the current agenda." D'Alema also said that the campaign to put and end to the death penalty has been a "growing" one, to which an important contribution was made by the "almost unanimous" vote of the European Parliament.
D'Alema also explained that the objective of the "cosponsorship" is not simply to expand the consensus but to have more countries promoting the cause, along with Italy and Germany.
In answering to journalists' questions, D'Alema said that amongst the countries that could become "cosponsors" are Brazil, South Africa and New Zealand. (Fonti: Ansa, 14/05/2007)