Zambia has become party to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on the Abolition of the Death Penalty.
This was after Minister of Justice, Hon. Princess Kasune, M.P, deposited the instruments at the office of the United Nations Secretary General in New York, United States of America on 19th December, 2024. The Minister was received by the United Nations Chief of the Treaty Section, Mr. David Nanopoulos. Hon. Kasune thanked President Hakainde Hichilema and the New Dawn Government for agreeing that Zambia accedes 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. This is what we have done today and Zambia is now a party to the Second Optional Protocol”.
Hon. Kasune said all these rights can only be enjoyed if one has life and it is guaranteed and not threatened by the death penalty.
“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. And today because of his leadership, as a country we are saying no Zambian’s life shall be threatened for asserting his or her civil and political rights because in the New Dawn era, life is sacred above all else,” the Minister said.
After receiving the instrument of accession, Mr. Nanopoulos said Zambia is the 92nd country to fulfill the provision of this very important human rights treaty.
Hon Kasune called on all Zambians to take interest in this remarkable development for the country.
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.
On 23rd December 2022, President Hichilema abolished the death penalty by amending the Penal Code. On 22nd December, 2023, the President signed into law the Defence (Amendment) Act that abolished the death penalty for court marshal and on 19th December, 2024, through the leadership of President Hichilema, Zambia has acceded to the Second Optional Protocol a pro-life step never to return the death penalty in our statutes.
“Christmas is about life and I’m happy that as a Ministry together with the 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 Minister said.
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.
Video: https://youtu.be/_ZQrloaO7yU
