The Council of Europe, in cooperation with its civil society partners “Ensemble contre la peine de mort” (ECPM) and Prison Insider, prepared and conducted the workshop Death is not Justice – youth advocacy and awareness-raising for the abolition of the death penalty in Africa. This workshop took place on 24-27 June 2024 within the framework of the 9th African University on Youth and Development which was organized by the North-South Center in Cidade Velha, Cabo Verde. It benefited from the North-South Center Project “Peace YP, promoting Euro-Africa cooperation to enhance youth participation for peace”, financed by the Governments of Malta, Portugal, and Spain.
This workshop is in line with the implementation of the Reykjavik Summit Declaration : the Heads of State and Government indicated that the Council of Europe must continue its fight for the abolition of the death penalty, a direction that was confirmed by the meeting of Foreign Ministers of 16-17 May 2024 who called “to strengthen initiatives to counter pro-death penalty narratives in Europe and contribute to global abolition." It has also contributed to set up a network of young Ambassadors against the death penalty, along with two other similar events held recently in Strasbourg and in Vilnius.
It brought together 12 students, young professionals and active members of civil society aged between 18 and 30, coming from 7 African States which are all considered to be under a moratorium on executions. They were selected from over 450 applicants. The young participants actively took part in sessions dedicated inter alia to the global tendencies regarding the death penalty, the situation in Africa, the specificities of advocacy methods and arguments in favor of the abolition in Africa, the conditions of detention, etc. They exchanged with experts such as Mr Mounir Bensalah, Secretary General of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco and Mr Julien Ngane Ndour, expert member of the Working Group on Death Penalty, Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions and Enforced Disappearances in Africa of the African Union Commission on Human and People’s Rights. They heard a testimony of Mr Ahmed Haou, a former death row prisoner in Morocco. They also reflected on their work as young ambassadors against the death penalty and have started to think about actions they will carry out in the future.
Beyond this workshop on the death penalty in Africa, participants had the opportunity to take part in the joint Programme of the AUYD exploring the theme #Fortheculture of Human Rights and the rule of Law. The AUYD is organised in collaboration with the North-South Centre's Network on Youth and Global Citizenship in the framework of iLEGEND III: Intercultural Learning Exchange through Global Education, Networking and Dialogue, a Joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe: co-funded by the two Organisations and implemented by the North-South Centre.
To know more on the African University on Youth and Development :
African University on Youth and Development - North-South Centre (coe.int)
