EU Presidency declaration on abolition of death penalty on Samoa

The European Union welcomes the abolition of the death penalty in the Independent State of Samoa.

On 15 January last, the Samoan Parliament, including Government and Opposition Parties, voted in support of a Bill to abolish the death penalty. The Crimes (Abolition of the Death Penalty) Amendment Act 2004 was then assented by His Highness the Head of State, Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II, on 21 January 2004. The Act will remove the death sentence from the statutes of Samoa.

The European Union considers that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights. It reaffirms its objective of working towards universal abolition of the death penalty and considers that the abolition of the death penalty in Samoa is an important step towards that aim. The Union considers that the decision of the Samoan Parliament represents a fundamental advance in the promotion of human rights in Samoa and an important contribution towards the Universal abolition of the death penalty and is, as announced by the Prime Minister of Samoa, Hon. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, "further evidence of Samoa's recognition of its international and regional obligations, and how serious it takes such obligations".

The Acceding Countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the Candidate Countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration.

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