DEATH PENALTY: THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS APPROVES THE RESOLUTION FOR A MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

The UNCHR has approved the resolution for a moratorium on executions for the sixth consecutive year with 25 votes in favour, 20 against and 8 abstentions.The co-sponsors of the resolution presented by Spain on behalf of the European Union were 68.Hands Off Cain, the NGO promoting a worldwide moratorium on executions, welcomed the vote."The Spanish presidency of the European Union has inverted the trend on death penalty abolition in UN institutions. The number of co-sponsors has in fact increased to 68 as opposed to the 66 countries who sponsored the resolution last year," HOC General Secretary Sergio D’Elia said."The time is now ripe for putting the moratorium resolution to the vote at the UN General Assembly. Its chances of success at the Assembly are good considering that the majority of UN member states are abolitionists. According to our data, a total of 127 countries have abolished or are moving towards abolishment of the death penalty. In fact 78 countries are fully abolitionist, 13 have abolished execution for ordinary crimes, 29 are de facto abolitionist, two are committed to abolishment as members of the Council of Europe and another five countries have imposed a moratorium on executions."The countries that retain the death penalty total 69. Of these, the democratic governments that have executed capital punishments - USA, Japan and Taiwan - can be counted on the fingers of one hand. In 2001 they carried out a total of 71 executions between them. Over 4,000 executions were carried out in authoritarian or dictatorial regimes last year."Hands Off Cain is fully committed to the campaign for a moratorium on executions and the abolition of the death penalty, a commitment that has increasingly become a battle for democracy. "The success of the abolitionist campaign at the UN General Assembly now hinges on the political will of the European Union to achieve it."