PENALTY

THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP
Matteo Renzi 1
As a country that has traditionally supported multilateralism and
is inclined towards dialogue and mediation, for both historical and
geographical reasons, Italy has always attached great importance
to the promotion of human rights in international relations. In
particular, Italy has been actively engaged in the campaign for a
moratorium on the death penalty, which was one of the priorities
of the Italian rotating Presidency of the Council of the European
Union for the second semester of 2014. 2 I am therefore very grateful
for the opportunity to contribute to this publication and elaborate
on the role of leadership in advancing this campaign.
The United Nations plays a unique role in calling on the entire
international community to work in a more coordinated and effective
manner to ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental
freedoms. I would like to thank in particular Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon for his tireless work in advocating for a moratorium of
the use of the death penalty worldwide. His strong leadership, deep
personal commitment and inspiring words are instrumental to the
success of the campaign. I would also like to thank the Assistant
Secretary-General for Human Rights Šimonović and the Office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for their excellent
work in assisting and coordinating activities in this field.
Since my appointment as prime minister of Italy, I have grown even
further in my firm belief in the importance of promoting and protecting
human rights and fundamental freedoms. Promoting respect
for human rights for all without distinction is not only a matter of
ethics, but a necessary condition to maintain international peace and
security and foster economic and social development.
1 Matteo Renzi is president of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Italy.
2 The Italian Presidency had the following priorities in the field of human rights: to further the
campaign for a moratorium on executions, to ensure freedom of religion and belief and the
protection of religious minorities, and to promote women’s rights (in particular, by combating
gender-based violence, female genital mutilation and early and forced marriages).
Every country has a responsibility to respect human rights for the
good of their own people and for the rest of humankind. We should
exercise our individual and shared responsibility not just in the interest
of people living today, but for all future generations.
As prime minister of Italy, I take pride in the fact that my country is
highly regarded for its engagement in the campaign for a moratorium on
the death penalty. This endeavour is deeply rooted in the Italian identity;
historical, cultural and religious factors have all played a fundamental role.
But let me be clear: This is also a success story about good leadership.
More than two centuries ago, in 1786, the Grand Duke of Tuscany,
Leopold I, abolished capital punishment in his territories. This
decision was inspired by the philosophical and juridical reflection
of another great Italian, Cesare Beccaria, who 20 years before had
published a book titled On Crimes and Punishments, in which he condemned
the use of torture and capital punishment and underlined
the lack of scientific evidence on the deterrent value of the death
penalty. Beccaria was able to show that the death penalty is useless
and unnecessary, affirming at the same time that its abolition would
represent a significant contribution to human progress.
In the 18th century Italy was not the unified state it is today, but in
many aspects it was already a nation, with a common heritage, language,
history and values. The arguments provided by Cesare Beccaria
and the example set by Grand Duke Leopold have remained vivid in
the hearts and minds of Italians until today. Great leadership inspired
by ideas and a clear vision of the future can make change happen. In
1889, the now unified Kingdom of Italy abolished the death penalty,
except in the military code. Under fascism, the death penalty was reintroduced,
but as soon as democracy was re-established after the Second
World War, the death penalty during peacetime was completely abolished.
Further steps were later taken to completely abolish the use of
capital punishment under all circumstances, and today Italian legislation
is fully compliant with the standards set by the United Nations and
the Council of Europe. But even in a country where the campaign for
abolition of the death penalty has deep roots in history and enjoys a
wide consensus among the population, it has taken time and effort to
introduce the necessary legislative reforms to fully enact it.
276 277