The Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) will host an international Workshop entitled “Strengthening Multilateral Efforts to Curb Trade in Torture and Death Penalty Goods” in Strasbourg and online on Wednesday 27 November 2024.
The event will examine Council of Europe member States’ efforts to curb the trade of goods used for torture and the death penalty, as a follow-up to the Recommendation Rec(2021)2 on this issue from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in 2021.
The recommendation encourages all member States to take unified action in this area, reinforcing their shared opposition to the death penalty, torture and ill-treatment – all of which are prohibited by the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Workshop will provide a valuable opportunity to discuss how member States are implementing the recommendation and how they can further develop this work. It will also examine the need for international cooperation on legal and practical measures in Council of Europe member States and beyond.
The event will bring together the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, Gala Veldhoen, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Dr Jill Alice Edwards, national experts and representatives of the European Union and civil society.
Participants will discuss how to work together to prevent the trade of goods used in torture and death penalty, examining the role of collaboration across sectors and borders in making sustainable progress.
The Workshop will take place from 9am to 12:30pm in room G.03 of the Council of Europe’s Agora building in Strasbourg. It will also be streamed online.
