Together Against The Death Penalty

Updated on Oct 28, 2023

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Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) is a French non-profit organisation aiming to abolish the death penalty worldwide.

The association is a founding member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, created and organises the Congresses Against the Death Penalty, a triennial event which gathers thousands of abolitionists from all around the world.

History

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) was created in October 2000. Its team carries out and supports actions in France or abroad that aim to fight against the death penalty and promote its universal abolition. It also works, on a larger scale, in favour of human and fundamental rights.

Structure

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM)’s system of governance is that of a professional French organisation. It is composed of members, volunteers and employees, and governed by an annual General Assembly, a quarterly steering committee meeting and monthly Executive board meetings.

Objectives and actions

The association bases its success on concrete actions led on in France and on an international scale, among which:

bringing together abolitionists to improve the movement’s efficiency,

strengthening local actors’ capacity and helping them carry out efficient actions,

advocating for universal abolition,

teaching abolition and human rights as well as raising public awareness.

Regions of focus

South East Asia: Asia is the first retentionist region in the world. Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM)'s engagement in the region follows the logical and necessary course of actions to reach universal abolition.

The MENA region :After Asia, the Arab world is the region which executes the most people. The geopolitical transition that followed 2011's Arab Spring has given birth to new challenges for abolitionist activists in the region.

Central Africa: The development of a movement in support of abolition remains a major challenge in this region where human rights violations are increasing.

Advocating in favour of international treaties

The death penalty is not officially prohibited by international law. However, numerous international instruments limit its usage, principally the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, the European Commission for Human Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights. Every two years, the UN's General Assembly votes a resolution in favour of an international moratorium on executions. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a mechanism used by the UN's Human Rights Counsel, regularly examines all 193 member states' situation regarding human rights by focusing on their engagement and obligations on the matter.

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) carries out lobbying actions among political authorities in collaboration with its partners in order to promote these international instruments and insure all countries respect the engagements they took during UPR meetings.

Examining conditions of detention on death row

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) conducts investigative missions in retentionist countries' death rows. These studies are intended to identify the situation on death row according to international standards and to raise awareness on specific cases of prisoners who did not have access to a fair trial.

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) published missions related to Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the USA and two recent ones concerning Tunisia and Morocco.

Responding to the emergency of a death sentence

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) does not replace lawyers for the target countries but puts its expertise at the service of the cause and the intervention is always adapted: International mobilisation campaign, legal or diplomatic support.

Corresponding with a death row prisoner

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) has developed on its website a "Prisoner Page" compiling needs in correspondence of prisoners sentenced to death and presenting their identity cards as well as actions accessible to all those who want to make a little difference.

Teaching abolition and human rights

In 2009, Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) launched a project called "Teaching Abolition" targeting students aged between 12 and 18. Modules are adapted to different school levels and courses of the national education program (literature, foreign languages, Arts, History and Geography).

This project also initiated awareness-raising activities for teenagers such as the Abolition Now board game and the Draw me Abolition drawing contest.

World Congress Against the Death Penalty

In 2001, Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) organised the first World Congress against the Death Penalty in Strasbourg. This Congress triggered the formation of an international movement for abolition. After this first edition, four Congresses followed (Montreal in 2004, Paris in 2007, Geneva in 2010, Madrid in 2013).

The 6th World Congress Against the Death Penalty will take place in Oslo in June 2016 and will aim to back the international strategy that works towards the evolution of countries applying moratoriums on executions

Regional Congress on the Death Penalty

Since 2012, the World Congress is preceded by a Congress with a regional focus aiming to create dialog platforms for abolitionist actors coming from retentionist areas, prepare the debates and allow progress in this region during the upcoming World Congress in addition to supporting the local activists. The first edition was organised in Rabat in 2012 and dedicated to the MENA region while the second Regional Congress took place in Kuala Lumpur and was dedicated to South East Asia.

The Core Group

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) animates an informal group of support for political mobilisation in favour of abolition: the Core Group. The Core Group targets all continents by gathering diplomatic representatives from Argentina, Mexico, France, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Rwanda, and Monaco.

Abolitionist parliamentarian networks

Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) inspired the creation of the first network of Parliamentarians Against the Death Penalty in Morocco. This network now gathers 250 members that work for an official approval of the moratorium on executions and the adoption of a law that abolishes the death penalty as well as the ratification of all international treaties.

The teaching abolition international network

This network was officially created in January 2014. The International Network for teaching abolition aims to facilitate and develop the creation of pedagogical tools and the implementation of common initiatives. The network's members are currently based in Tunisia, Lebanon, Morocco and France and Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) is coordinating the network's activities.

World Coalition Against the Death Penalty

With more than 160 members across the world, the World Coalition is an essential partner of the international abolitionist movement. Founded on the initiative of Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM), the World Coalition has been an independent organisation since 2012. The continuity of its management is ensured as Together Against The Death Penalty (ECPM) remains an elected member of its Steering Committee and is represented by its Director on the Executive Board and plays a crucial role to guarantee the efficiency of this major international platform.