LAST week Zambia became party to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on the Abolition of the Death Penalty. Minister of Justice, Princess Kasune who is also Member of Parliament for Keembe constituency in Central Province, deposited the instruments at the office of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General in New York, United States.
Ms Kasune was received and welcomed by the UN Chief of the Treaty Section, Mr David Nanopoulos.
Ms Kasune thanked Zambia’s Republican President Hakainde Hichilema for agreeing that Zambia should accede to the Second Optional Protocol.
“Led by this guidance, my Ministry tabled the Protocol before the House and in November 2024, Parliament ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political and Rights. Pursuant to Article 7(4) of the Protocol, effecting accession by depositing of an instrument of accession with the Secretary General of the United Nations,’’ the statement reads in part.
The statement issued on December 19, 2024 by Zambia’s Permanent Mission of Zambia to the UN in New York, Moses Jere says Ms Kasune described the development as beneficial.
Ms Kasune said that all the above mentioned rights can only be enjoyed if one has life and their right to life is guaranteed and not threatened by the death penalty.
She further explained that “ President Hichilema was persecuted to the point of being slapped with a trumped-up charge of treason that attracts the death penalty just because of exercising his civil and political rights.’’
Ms Kasune said, today, because of President Hakainde’s leadership, the country is saying no to death penalty as the Government considers life as sacred above all else.
Speaking after receiving the instrument of accession, Mr Nanopoulos said that Zambia is the 92nd country to fulfil the provision of this very important human rights treaty.
Ms Kasune has since called on all Zambians to take interest on what Zambia has done.
“Zambia has acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR without any reservations. By this accession an individual Zambian citizen now has the right to approach the Human Rights Committee of the UN in a case where one believes their civil and political rights are being curtailed by the death penalty threat,’’ Ms Kasune said.
On 23rd December 2022 President Hichilema abolished the death penalty by amending the penal code. On 22nd December 2023 he signed into law the Defence (Amendment) Act that abolished the death penalty for court marshal and now on 19th December 2024, through his leadership, Zambia has acceded to the Second Optional Protocol a pro-life step never to return the death penalty in our statutes,’’ she said.
She added: “Christmas is about life and I am happy that as a ministry together with country we are again ending this year on a pro-life note. This is the pro-life legacy that President Hichilema will leave behind”.
The Second Optional Protocol is a subsidiary treaty to the ICCPR.
Zambia became party to the ICCPR in 1984. The ICCPR is an International Covenant that promotes Civil rights such the right to vote and the right to government services among others.
