Defending human dignity

Testimonies

Former Kenyan death row prisoner Pete Ouko spent 18 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. His testimony goes back to what kept him hopeful in prison. Today, his association is working with young people to encourage them to stay away from crime and prison.

Key data

1500 participants
100 countries represented
4 days & 6 venues in the european capital
350 political personalities
150 NGOs
100 hours of debates
50 artists & 17 cultural events

“Progress towards abolition of the death penalty is one
of the great success stories of human rights.”

Federica Mogherini
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Opening ceremony

“We believe… that every human life matters, no matter how it is used, no matter how many mistakes a person makes. We believe that a State should not dispose of the life of a human being. We believe that the response to a crime must never be another crime… We believe in justice not revenge.”

Federica Mogherini
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Download the Proceedings book

Business and the death penalty

The World Congress addressed the contribution that businesses can make to abolition for the first time in 2019, in a public session held in the European Parliament…

New strategies for abolition

The sociopolitical environment in which we work is changing. International law is under attack, undermining efforts to secure abolition. Political alliances are shifting, influencing both lobbying and support…

Final declaration

We, the participants of the 7th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, organized in Brussels from February 26 to March 1st, 2019 […] adopt the present declaration following four days of intense debates, exchanges of experiences, testimonies, cultural events…