UNITED NATIONS - France: the vote on Moratorium

November 13, 2026 - UNITED NATIONS. France: the vote on Moratorium

Statement by Mr. Jérôme Bonnafont, France

The establishment of a universal moratorium on executions constitutes a first step toward the definitive abolition of the death penalty

Statement by Mr. Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations

Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly

New York, November 13, 2026

The establishment of a universal moratorium on executions constitutes a first step toward the definitive abolition of the death penalty
Mr. Chair,

France remains faithful to the commitment made by the father of the abolition of the death penalty in our country, Attorney Robert Badinter. In 1981, he asserted that the French justice system would never again be “a justice system that kills.” No judicial system is infallible, and the death penalty poses an unacceptable risk: that of a miscarriage of justice with irreversible consequences, namely the irreparable loss of human life.

Participants at the 9th Congress Against the Death Penalty, which France hosted a few months ago, reaffirmed this: the establishment of a universal moratorium on executions constitutes a first step toward the definitive, full, and complete abolition of the death penalty, which no one can dispute is a step forward for civilization.

In this regard, we commend the work of Mexico and Switzerland, the co-facilitators of this resolution. They made significant efforts during the negotiations to address the long-standing concerns expressed by certain delegations. For France, the language proposed this year in the pre-draft resolution and supported by all members of the Interregional Working Group (IRTF) specifically addresses these concerns, in a spirit of dialogue and compromise.

Mr. Chair,

France does not in any way contest the principle of state sovereignty. Let us recall that the proposed resolution does not require any State to amend its domestic law, and the proposed compromise language is very clear on this point. Each State remains free to develop its own legal system and to determine the applicable criminal penalties, within the limits imposed by its international obligations. And that is what sovereignty is: the exercise of one’s freedom within the framework of the obligations to which one has freely subscribed.

In this regard, France considers that the proposed amendment would distort the resolution’s meaning. France will therefore vote against this amendment and in favor of the resolution as presented by the co-facilitators.

We invite all delegations to do the same.

Thank you.