21 November 2024 :
November 19, 2024 - UNITED NATIONS. Moratorium on Death Penalty - draft resolution
UN resolution reflects growing support for ending capital punishment
The Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday approved a draft resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, with a view to abolishing it. The resolution, which stresses the need to respect international standards that provide safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, was adopted by a vote of 131 countries in favor, 36 against, with 21 abstentions.
By the text, the General Assembly would urge all member states and other states to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. It would also urge them to respect international standards that provide safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty and ensure that any trial leading to the imposition of the death penalty complies with internationally recognized fair trial guarantees.
The representative of Italy, introducing the draft resolution, said that 75 years ago when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, only 10 countries had abolished the death penalty. Today, over 2/3 of countries have done so legally or practically, he said. He stressed that this trend's growth is global, universal, and "instrumental" in supporting it, citing this text as evidence. He also stressed that the text does not call for changing the constitution or national laws.
Before the vote, the Committee approved an amendment 105-65-13, reaffirming the sovereign right of all countries to develop their own legal systems and legal penalties as required by international law. The amendment was introduced by the representative of Singapore, who said that the paragraph added has repeatedly been voted back into the resolution with an overwhelming majority.
