The Council of Europe member States’ efforts to limit the trade of goods used for torture and the death penalty have been examined during this event, as a follow-up to Recommendation Rec(2021)2 adopted by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on this issue 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.
The Workshop provided a valuable opportunity to discuss how member States are implementing the Recommendation and how they can further develop this work. It also examined the need for international cooperation on political, legal and practical measures in Council of Europe member States and beyond.
Speakers included national experts, 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, and representatives of the European Union and civil society.
Participants discussed 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.
