Key Benefits:
Original text
(State on 11 April 2013)
The member States of the Council of Europe, signatories to this Protocol,
Convinced that the right of every person to life is a fundamental value in a democratic society, and that the abolition of the death penalty is essential to the protection of that right and to the full recognition of the inherent dignity of all Human beings;
Wishing to strengthen the protection of the right to life guaranteed by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 1 Signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 (hereinafter referred to as "the Convention");
Noting that Protocol No. O 6 to the Convention on the Abolition of the Death Penalty 2 , signed in Strasbourg on 28 April 1983, does not exclude the death penalty for acts committed in time of war or of imminent danger of war;
Resolved to take the ultimate step in order to abolish the death penalty in all circumstances,
Agreed to the following:
The death penalty is abolished. No one shall be sentenced to such punishment or executed.
No derogation shall be permitted to the provisions of this Protocol under Art. 15 of the Convention.
No reservation shall be made to the provisions of this Protocol under Art. 57 of the Convention.
(1) Any State may, at the time of signature or at the time of deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, designate the territory or territories to which this Protocol shall apply.
(2) Any State may, at any other time thereafter, by a declaration addressed to the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, extend the application of this Protocol to any other territory designated in the declaration. The Protocol shall enter into force in respect of that Territory on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date of receipt of the declaration by the Secretary-General.
(3) Any declaration made under the two preceding paragraphs may be withdrawn or amended, in respect of any territory designated in that declaration, by notification addressed to the Secretary-General. Withdrawal or modification shall take effect on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General.
States Parties shall consider art. 1 to 4 of this Protocol as additional articles to the Convention, and all the provisions of the Convention shall apply accordingly.
This Protocol shall be open for signature by the member States of the Council of Europe which have signed the Convention. It shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or approval. A member state of the Council of Europe may not ratify, accept or approve this Protocol without having simultaneously or previously ratified the Convention. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
1. This Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date on which ten member States of the Council of Europe have expressed their consent to be bound by this Protocol In accordance with the provisions of his art. 6.
(2) For any Member State which subsequently expresses its consent to be bound by this Protocol, it shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date of the deposit of the instrument of Ratification, acceptance or approval.
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe will notify all Council of Europe member states of:
In witness whereof, The undersigned, duly authorized to that effect, have signed this Protocol.
Done at Vilnius, on 3 May 2002, in English and French, both texts being equally authentic, in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall transmit certified copies to each member state of the Council of Europe.
(Suivent signatures)
| States Parties |
Ratification |
Entry into force |
||
| Albania |
February 6 |
2007 |
1 Er June |
2007 |
| Germany |
11 October |
2004 |
1 Er February |
2005 |
| Andorra |
26 March |
2003 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Austria |
12 January |
2004 |
1 Er May |
2004 |
| Belgium |
23 June |
2003 |
1 Er October |
2003 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
July 29 |
2003 |
1 Er November |
2003 |
| Bulgaria |
13 February |
2003 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Cyprus |
12 March |
2003 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Croatia |
3 February |
2003 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Denmark |
28 November |
2002 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Greenland |
1 Er May |
2004 |
1 Er May |
2004 |
| Faroe Islands |
1 Er November |
2003 |
1 Er November |
2003 |
| Spain * |
16 December |
2009 |
1 Er April |
2010 |
| Estonia |
25 February |
2004 |
1 Er June |
2004 |
| Finland |
29 November |
2004 |
1 Er March |
2005 |
| France |
10 October |
2007 |
1 Er February |
2008 |
| Georgia * |
22 May |
2003 |
1 Er September |
2003 |
| Greece |
1 Er February |
2005 |
1 Er June |
2005 |
| Hungary |
July 16 |
2003 |
1 Er November |
2003 |
| Ireland |
3 May |
2002 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Iceland |
10 November |
2004 |
1 Er March |
2005 |
| Italy |
3 March |
2009 |
1 Er July |
2009 |
| Latvia |
26 January |
2012 |
1 Er May |
2012 |
| Liechtenstein |
5 December |
2002 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Lithuania |
29 January |
2004 |
1 Er May |
2004 |
| Luxembourg |
21 March |
2006 |
1 Er July |
2006 |
| Macedonia |
July 13 |
2004 |
1 Er November |
2004 |
| Malta |
3 May |
2002 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Moldova * |
18 October |
2006 |
1 Er February |
2007 |
| Monaco |
30 November |
2005 |
1 Er March |
2006 |
| Montenegro |
6 June |
2006 S |
6 June |
2006 |
| Norway |
August 16 |
2005 |
1 Er December |
2005 |
| Netherlands A |
10 February |
2006 |
1 Er June |
2006 |
| Netherlands Antilles |
10 February |
2006 |
1 Er June |
2006 |
| Aruba |
10 February |
2006 |
1 June |
2006 |
| Curaçao |
10 February |
2006 |
1 Er June |
2006 |
| Caribbean (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) |
10 February |
2006 |
1 Er June |
2006 |
| Sint Maarten |
10 February |
2006 |
1 Er June |
2006 |
| Portugal |
3 October |
2003 |
1 Er February |
2004 |
| Czech Republic |
July 2 |
2004 |
1 Er November |
2004 |
| Romania |
7 April |
2003 |
1 Er August |
2003 |
| United Kingdom |
10 October |
2003 |
1 Er February |
2004 |
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia |
1 Er April |
2004 |
1 Er August |
2004 |
| Anguilla |
30 January |
2007 |
1 Er May |
2007 |
| Bermuda |
30 January |
2007 |
1 Er May |
2007 |
| South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands |
30 January |
2007 |
1 Er May |
2007 |
| Gibraltar |
30 January |
2007 |
1 Er May |
2007 |
| Guernsey |
April 16 |
2004 |
1 Er August |
2004 |
| Isle of Man |
April 16 |
2004 |
1 Er August |
2004 |
| Falkland Islands |
30 January |
2007 |
1 Er May |
2007 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands |
30 January |
2007 |
1 Er May |
2007 |
| Jersey |
April 16 |
2004 |
1 Er August |
2004 |
| Montserrat |
30 January |
2007 |
1 Er May |
2007 |
| St. Helena and Dependencies (Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) |
30 January |
2007 |
1 Er May |
2007 |
| San Marino |
April 25 |
2003 |
1 Er August |
2003 |
| Serbia |
3 March |
2004 |
1 Er July |
2004 |
| Slovakia |
August 18 |
2005 |
1 Er December |
2005 |
| Slovenia |
4 December |
2003 |
1 Er April |
2004 |
| Sweden |
22 April |
2003 |
1 Er August |
2003 |
| Switzerland |
3 May |
2002 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| Turkey |
20 February |
2006 |
1 Er June |
2006 |
| Ukraine |
March 11 |
2003 |
1 Er July |
2003 |
| * |
Reservations and declarations. |
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| Reservations and declarations are not published in the RO. The texts in English and French can be found at the Council of Europe website: http://conventions.coe.int or obtained from the Directorate of Public International Law (DDIP), International Treaty Section, 3003 Berne. |
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| A |
For the Kingdom in Europe |
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1 RS 0.101
2 RS 0.101.06
3 RO 2003 2577 , 2004 3577, 2005 1901, 2006 2013, 2007 1321, 2010 565, 2013 1227. A version of the updated scope of application is published on the DFAE website (www.dfae.admin.ch/traites).
