The United Nations moratorium on the death penalty
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Since 2007 the General Assembly of the United Nations has adopted at regular intervals a resolution calling on states for a moratorium on executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty. The resolution is not binding, but every vote measures how many states are willing to support it, and the supporters have grown over time.
Hands Off Cain works on parliaments and governments so that this number grows and so that the vote is followed by decisions at home. This page collects the news on the votes, the co-sponsorships and the positions of individual countries.
Latest news
- APRIL 28, 1999San MarinoDEATH PENALTY
San Marino was a cosponsor of the resolution on the...
San Marino was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999RomaniaDEATH PENALTY
Romania was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution...
Romania was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999SlovakiaDEATH PENALTY
Slovakia was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death...
Slovakia was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999BhutanDEATH PENALTY
Bhutan abstained on the resolution on the death penalty...
Bhutan abstained on the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999NetherlandsDEATH PENALTY
The Netherlands was a cosponsor of the resolution on...
The Netherlands was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
United Kingdom was a cosponsor and voted in favor of...
United Kingdom was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28, 1999 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999NorwayDEATH PENALTY
Norway was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution...
Norway was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999PortugalDEATH PENALTY
Portugal was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death...
Portugal was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999LiechtensteinDEATH PENALTY
Liechtenstein was a cosponsor of the resolution on...
Liechtenstein was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 28, 1999MoldovaDEATH PENALTY
Moldova was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death...
Moldova was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 27, 1999MaltaDEATH PENALTY
Malta was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death...
Malta was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 19, 1999CanadaDEATH PENALTY
On April 19, Justice Minister Anne McLellan said that...
On April 19, Justice Minister Anne McLellan said that the European Union's resolution being debated at the Commission on Human Rights would, if passed, make Canada a safe haven for killers
- JANUARY 1, 1999ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
Armenia cosponsored the resolution for a moratorium...
Armenia cosponsored the resolution for a moratorium on executions presented by the European Union at the 54th UN General Assembly (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999RussiaDEATH PENALTY
In 1996, the then President Boris Yeltsin imposed a...
In 1996, the then President Boris Yeltsin imposed a moratorium on the use of capital punishment when Russia joined the Council of Europe on February 28 of that year
- JANUARY 1, 1999Solomon IslandsDEATH PENALTY
The Solomon Islands cosponsored the resolution on the...
The Solomon Islands cosponsored the resolution on the death penalty presented by the European Union at the 54th UN General Assembly (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999ItalyDEATH PENALTY
In 1999, the Italian Parliament and Government, together...
In 1999, the Italian Parliament and Government, together with Hands off Cain, organized the international lobbying of various countries in support of a UN moratorium on executions
- JANUARY 1, 1999United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
The United Kingdom also cosponsored the resolution...
The United Kingdom also cosponsored the resolution for a moratorium on executions presented by the European Union at the 54th UN General Assembly (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999LatviaDEATH PENALTY
President Guntis Ulmanis imposed a moratorium on the...
President Guntis Ulmanis imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in 1996 but Parliament refused to scrap it entirely when it drew up a new Criminal Code, due to take effect in April of that year
- JANUARY 1, 1999KyrgyzstanDEATH PENALTY
A new Penal Code entered into force in January 1998...
A new Penal Code entered into force in January 1998 and reduced the number of capital crimes, also replacing the death penalty with a maximum of 30 years
- JANUARY 1, 1999MicronesiaDEATH PENALTY
Micronesia was a cosponsor of the resolution on the...
Micronesia was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty presented by the European Union at the 54th UN General Assembly (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999Papua New GuineaDEATH PENALTY
Papua New Guinea was a cosponsor of the amendments...
Papua New Guinea was a cosponsor of the amendments presented by Egypt (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
Sri Lanka was a cosponsor of the amendments presented...
Sri Lanka was a cosponsor of the amendments presented by Egypt (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999St. Vincent & GrenadinesDEATH PENALTY
St. Vincent and the Grenadines was a cosponsor of the...
St. Vincent and the Grenadines was a cosponsor of the amendments presented by Egypt (A/C.3/54/L
- JANUARY 1, 1999St. Kitts & NevisDEATH PENALTY
St. Kitts and Nevis was a cosponsor of the amendments...
St. Kitts and Nevis was a cosponsor of the amendments presented by Egypt (A/C.3/54/L
- JANUARY 1, 1999NamibiaDEATH PENALTY
Namibia was a cosponsor of the resolution for a moratorium...
Namibia was a cosponsor of the resolution for a moratorium on executions presented by the European Union at the 54th UN General Assembly (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999UgandaDEATH PENALTY
Uganda was a cosponsor of the amendments presented...
Uganda was a cosponsor of the amendments presented by Egypt (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999MaliDEATH PENALTY
Mali was a cosponsor of the amendments presented by...
Mali was a cosponsor of the amendments presented by Egypt (A/C
- JANUARY 1, 1999United StatesDEATH PENALTY
With 84 inmates released from death rows because of...
With 84 inmates released from death rows because of innocence, growing doubts about how the death penalty is applied have prompted some state lawmakers to call for a moratorium on executions to study whether the system is working fairly