ITALY. MARCH IN SUPPORT OF UN MORATORIUM OF EXECUTIONS

April 8, 2007: Around 3000 people marched in Rome calling on the government to help speed the adoption of a UN resolution for a world moratorium on death penalty.
Italy which became a rotating member of the United Nations Security Council in January announced that it would use its tenure to get the resolution passed but has yet to forward any such proposal.
The Easter Sunday marchers came from various political backgrounds but were united in their interest to put a global end to the death penalty. They carried white balloons and their placards demanded a quick adoption of the UN resolution.
Former Italian president Francesco Cossiga and Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni who took part in the march received the backing of current President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Romano Prodi.
The procession ended at St Peter's Square where Pope Benedict XVI was delivering his traditional Easter address. The protesters hoped that the pope would mention their cause, but it was absent from his message to the world.
Emma Bonino, a former European Union commissioner and one of the organizers of the march said, "We are here to back the government initiative to get the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution on the moratorium." (Sources: Tg/ava, 08/04/2007)