Human Rights

The Council of Europe's Assembly recommended that the Council's Committee of Ministers take several steps to encourage a US moratorium on, or abolition of, the death penalty in order to maintain its observer status at the Council.

Specifically, the Assembly recommended that the Committee of Ministers
"intensify its dialogue on the abolition of the death penalty with [the US government] with a view to encouraging rapid progress on the issue, especially as it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Council of Europe to accept that Observer states make use of the death penalty" and take "effective measures to encourage compliance."

It also recommended that the Council making it minimum requirement that states wishing to have observer status extended "show a willingness to engage in a fruitful dialogue . . . with the Council of Europe on the abolition of the death penalty . . . or put into place a moratorium on executions.

Recommendation 1627 can be found on the Council of Europe's Website:
http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?Link=/asp/doc/EDocMenu(SQL).asp?Language=E