Duff joins Commemoration of Human Rights Day

12.00.00am GMT Mon 13th Dec 1999

Andrew Duff, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for Eastern England, yesterday joined the congregation at the Ipswich Unitarian Meeting House to commemorate Human Rights Day.

The service was organised in conjunction with the United Nations Association. Andrew Duff MEP said:

"It is a great pleasure to be able to share in this excellent celebration of the progress in human rights.

"The role of the European Union in the development of civilised human rights regimes across the world is crucial.

"I have just returned from a visit to Turkey in connection with that country's application to join the Union: civil liberties is top of the agenda there, including especially the abolition of the death penalty.

"I also salute the work of the Iranian Human Rights Working Group.

"I know that many of my colleagues in the European Parliament share your goal of a moratorium on capital punishment by the end of the year 2000.

"There could be no finer gift for humanity at the dawn of the new millennium".