Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Tuesday participated in a virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of the International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) Supporting Group.
The meeting was held over the ICDP’s 10th anniversary, with the aim of taking stock of the progress as well as challenges and activities ahead with a view to achieving the common goal – global abolition of capital punishment.
This was the Grlić Radman’s first participation within the Supporting Group, following Croatia’s becoming a member earlier this year. Addressing the meeting, the minister underscored Croatia’s opposition to capital punishment in all cases, adding that we pushed for the moratorium on and ultimately global abolishment of death penalty, which is one of Croatia’s foreign policy priorities in the area of human rights. Croatia advocated the right to life and complete abolishment of all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading degrading and punishment. In addition, we advocate a universal ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Grlić Radman also reflected on Croatia’s long-standing active participation in the context of the UN Death-Penalty Moratorium Resolution as well as our engagement in the activities aimed at abolishing the death penalty during our UNHRC membership and EU presidency.
By joining the Supporting Group, Croatia aims to strengthen additionally its long-standing engagement in this area and, in cooperation with other member countries, support the activities of the ICDP.