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Resolutions concerning death penalty at the United Nations

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UN General Assembly
Resolution 62/149
  In favour
  Against
  Abstained
Date18 December 2007
Meeting no.76
CodeA/RES/62/149 (Document)
SubjectMoratorium on the use of the death penalty
Voting summary
  • 104 voted for
  • 54 voted against
  • 29 abstained
ResultApproved
UN General Assembly
Resolution 63/168
Date18 December 2008
Meeting no.70
CodeA/RES/63/168 (Document)
SubjectMoratorium on the use of the death penalty
Voting summary
  • 106 voted for
  • 46 voted against
  • 34 abstained
ResultApproved
UN General Assembly
Resolution 65/206
Date21 December 2010
Meeting no.71
CodeA/RES/65/206 (Document)
SubjectMoratorium on the use of the death penalty
Voting summary
  • 109 voted for
  • 41 voted against
  • 35 abstained
ResultApproved

At Italy's instigation, a resolution for a moratorium on the death penalty was presented by the European Union in partnership with eight co-author member States to the General Assembly of the United Nations, calling for general suspension (not abolition) of capital punishment throughout the world. It was approved on 15 November 2007 by the Third Committee, and then subsequently adopted on 18 December by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 62/149. New Zealand played a central role facilitating agreement between the co-author group and other supporters.

It calls on States that maintain the death penalty to establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to abolition, and in the meantime, to restrict the number of offences which it punishes and to respect the rights of those on death row. It also calls on States that have abolished the death penalty not to reintroduce it. Like all General Assembly resolutions, it is not binding on any state.

On 18 December 2007, the United Nations General Assembly voted 104 to 54 in favour of resolution A/RES/62/149, which proclaims a global moratorium on the death penalty, with 29 abstentions (as well as 5 absent at the time of the vote).[1] Italy had proposed and sponsored this resolution. After the resolution's approval, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema declared: "Now we must start working on the abolition of the death penalty".[2]

On 18 December 2008, the General Assembly adopted another resolution (A/RES/63/168) reaffirming its previous call for a global moratorium on capital punishment 106 to 46 (with 34 abstentions and another 6 were absent at the time of the vote). Working in partnership with the EU, New Zealand and Mexico were co-facilitators of the draft text which was developed over a period of six months, which Chile then presented to the UN General Assembly on behalf of cosponsors.

On 21 December 2010, the 65th General Assembly adopted a third resolution (A/RES/65/206) with 109 countries voting in favour, 41 against and 35 abstentions (another seven countries were absent at the time of the vote).[3]

On 20 December 2012, the 67th General Assembly adopted a fourth resolution (A/RES/67/176) with 111 countries voting in favour, 41 against and 34 abstentions (another seven countries were absent).[4]

On 18 December 2014, the 69th General Assembly adopted a fifth resolution (A/RES/69/186) with 117 countries voting in favour, 38 against and 34 abstentions (another four countries were absent).[5]

On 19 December 2016, the 71st General Assembly adopted a sixth resolution (A/RES/71/187) with 117 countries voting in favour, 40 against and 31 abstentions (another five countries were absent).[6]

On 16 December 2018, 121 voted in favour of the 7th resolution, 35 against, and 32 abstained.[7]

On 16 December 2020, 123 voted in favour of the 8th resolution, 38 against, and 24 abstained.[8]

On 15 December 2022, 125 voted in favour of the 9th resolution, 37 against, 22 abstained, and 9 absent.[9]

International campaign

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Hands Off Cain

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Logo of the organisation "Hands Off Cain"

The UN moratorium campaign was launched in Italy by the association Hands Off Cain, affiliated to the Nonviolent Radical Party.[10] The association against death penalty and torture was founded in Rome in 1993 by former left-wing terrorist and current nonviolent politician and human rights activist Sergio D'Elia, with his first wife Mariateresa Di Lascia and Italian Radicals' liberal leaders Marco Pannella and Emma Bonino (former European Commissioner).

History

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In 1994, a resolution for a moratorium was presented for the first time at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by the Italian government. It lost by eight votes. Since 1997, through Italy's initiative, and since 1999 through the EU's endeavour, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) has been approving a resolution calling for a moratorium on executions with a view to completely abolishing the death penalty, every year. The 2007 vote at the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly saw intense diplomatic activity in favour of the moratorium by EU countries, and by the Nonviolent Radical Party itself; the Catholic Community of Sant'Egidio joined forces by submitting to the U.N. an appeal and 5,000,000 signatures asking for the moratorium to be passed.[citation needed].

Full text of resolution 62/149

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The General Assembly,

Guided by the purposes and principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,[a] the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights[b] and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,[c]

Recalling also the resolutions on the question of the death penalty adopted over the past decade by the Commission on Human Rights in all consecutive sessions, the last being its resolution 2005/59 of 20 April 2005,[d] in which the Commission called upon states that still maintain the death penalty to abolish it completely and, in the meantime, to establish a moratorium on executions,

Recalling further the important results accomplished by the former Commission of Human Rights on the question of the death penalty, and envisaging that the Human Rights Council could continue to work on this issue,

Considering that the use of the death penalty undermines human dignity, and convinced that a moratorium on the use of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement and progressive development of Human Rights, that there is no conclusive evidence that the death penalty's deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the death penalty's implementation is irreversible and irreparable,

Welcoming the decisions taken by an increasing number of States to apply a moratorium on executions, followed in many cases by the abolition of the death penalty,

  1. Expresses its deep concern about the continued application of the death penalty;
  2. Calls upon all States that still maintain the death penalty to:
    1. Respect international standards that provide safeguards guaranteeing the protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, in particular the minimum standards, as set out in the annexe to Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/50 of 25 May 1984;
    2. Provide the Secretary-General with information relating to the use of Capital Punishment and the observance of the safeguards guaranteeing the protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty;
    3. Progressively restrict the use of the death penalty and reduce the number of offences for which it may be imposed;
    4. Establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty;
  3. Calls upon States which have abolished the death penalty not to reintroduce it;
  4. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session on the implementation of the present resolution;
  5. Decides to continue consideration of the matter at its sixty-third session under the same agenda item.
  1. ^ Resolution 217 A (III).
  2. ^ Resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
  3. ^ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
  4. ^ Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2005, Supplement No. 3 and corrigenda (E/2005/23 and Corr.1 and 2), chap. II, sect. A.

Full text of resolution 63/168

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The General Assembly,

Reaffirming its resolution 62/149 of 18 December 2007 on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty,

Welcoming the decisions taken by an increasing number of States to apply a moratorium on executions and the global trend towards the abolition of the death penalty,

  1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 62/149,[a] and the conclusions and recommendations contained therein;
  2. Requests the Secretary-General to provide a report on progress made in the implementation of resolution 62/149 and the present resolution, for consideration during its sixty-fifth session, and calls upon Member States to provide the Secretary-General with information in this regard;
  3. Decides to continue consideration of the matter at its sixty-fifth session under the item entitled "Promotion and protection of human rights".
  1. ^ A/63/293 and Corr. 1.

Full text of resolution 65/206

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The General Assembly,

Guided by the purposes and principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,[a] the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights[b] and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,[c]

Reaffirming its resolutions 62/149 of 18 December 2007 and 63/168 of 18 December 2008 on the question of a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, in which the General Assembly called upon States that still maintain the death penalty to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing it,

Mindful that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the implementation of the death penalty is irreversible and irreparable,

Convinced that a moratorium on the use of the death penalty contributes to respect for human dignity and to the enhancement and progressive development of human rights, and considering that there is no conclusive evidence of the deterrent value of the death penalty,

Noting ongoing national debates and regional initiatives on the death penalty, as well as the readiness of an increasing number of Member States to make available information on the use of the death penalty,

Noting also the technical cooperation among Member States in relation to moratoriums on the death penalty,

  1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 63/168[d] and the recommendations contained therein;
  2. Also welcomes the steps taken by some countries to reduce the number of offences for which the death penalty may be imposed and the decisions made by an increasing number of States to apply a moratorium on executions, followed in many cases by the abolition of the death penalty;
  3. Calls upon all States:
    1. To respect international standards that provide safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, in particular the minimum standards, as set out in the annex to Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/50 of 25 May 1984, as well as to provide the Secretary-General with information in this regard;
    2. To make available relevant information with regard to their use of the death penalty, which can contribute to possible informed and transparent national debates;
    3. To progressively restrict the use of the death penalty and to reduce the number of offences for which it may be imposed;
    4. To establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty;
  4. Calls upon States which have abolished the death penalty not to reintroduce it, and encourages them to share their experience in this regard;
  5. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session on the implementation of the present resolution;
  6. Decides to continue its consideration of the matter at its sixty-seventh session under the item entitled "Promotion and protection of human rights".
  1. ^ Resolution 217 A (III).
  2. ^ Resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
  3. ^ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
  4. ^ A/65/280 and Corr. 1.

Voting record

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2007

[edit]
In favour (104)
Abstaining (29) Against (54) Absent (5)
 Albania
 Algeria
 Andorra
 Angola
 Argentina
 Armenia
 Australia
 Austria
 Azerbaijan
 Belgium
 Benin
 Bolivia
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Brazil
 Bulgaria
 Burkina Faso
 Burundi
 Cambodia
 Canada
 Cape Verde
 Chile
 Colombia
 Congo
 Costa Rica
 Cote D'Ivoire
 Croatia
 Cyprus
 Czech Republic
 Denmark
 Dominican Republic
 Ecuador
 El Salvador
 Estonia
 Finland
 France
 Gabon
 Georgia
 Germany
 Greece
 Guatemala
 Haiti
 Honduras
 Hungary
 Iceland
 Ireland
 Israel
 Italy
 Kazakhstan
 Kiribati
 Kyrgyzstan
 Latvia
 Liechtenstein
 Lithuania
 Luxembourg
 Madagascar
 Mali
 Malta
 Marshall Islands
 Mauritius
 Mexico
 Micronesia (Federated States of)
 Monaco
 Montenegro
 Mozambique
 Namibia
 Nauru
   Nepal
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Nicaragua
 Norway
 Palau
 Panama
 Paraguay
 Philippines
 Poland
 Portugal
 Republic of Moldova
 Romania
 Russian Federation
 Rwanda
 Samoa
 San Marino
 Sao Tome and Principe
 Serbia
 Slovakia
 Slovenia
 South Africa
 Spain
 Sri Lanka
 Sweden
  Switzerland
 Tajikistan
 The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
 Timor-Leste
 Turkey
 Turkmenistan
 Tuvalu
 Ukraine
 United Kingdom
 Uruguay
 Uzbekistan
 Vanuatu
 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
 Belarus
 Bhutan
 Cameroon
 Central African Republic
 Cuba
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Djibouti
 Equatorial Guinea
 Eritrea
 Fiji
 Gambia
 Ghana
 Guinea
 Kenya
 Lao People's Democratic Republic
 Lebanon
 Lesotho
 Liberia
 Malawi
 Morocco
 Niger
Republic of Korea
 Sierra Leone
 Swaziland
 Togo
 United Arab Emirates
 United Republic of Tanzania
 Viet Nam
 Zambia
 Afghanistan
 Antigua and Barbuda
 Bahamas
 Bahrain
 Bangladesh
 Barbados
 Belize
 Botswana
 Brunei Darussalam
 Chad
 China
 Comoros
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
 Dominica
 Egypt
 Ethiopia
 Grenada
 Guyana
 India
 Indonesia
 Iran (Islamic Republic of)
 Iraq
 Jamaica
 Japan
 Jordan
 Kuwait
 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
 Malaysia
 Maldives
 Mauritania
 Mongolia
 Myanmar
 Nigeria
 Oman
 Pakistan
 Papua New Guinea
 Qatar
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Saudi Arabia
 Singapore
 Solomon Islands
 Somalia
 Sudan
 Suriname
 Syrian Arab Republic
 Thailand
 Tonga
 Trinidad and Tobago
 Uganda
 United States of America
 Yemen
 Zimbabwe
 Guinea-Bissau
 Peru
 Senegal
 Seychelles
 Tunisia
Observer States:  Holy See

2008

[edit]
In favour (106)
Abstaining (34) Against (46) Absent (6)
 Albania
 Algeria
 Andorra
 Angola
 Argentina
 Armenia
 Australia
 Austria
 Azerbaijan
 Belgium
 Benin
 Bolivia
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Brazil
 Bulgaria
 Burkina Faso
 Burundi
 Cambodia
 Canada
 Cape Verde
 Chile
 Colombia
 Congo
 Costa Rica
 Cote D'Ivoire
 Croatia
 Cyprus
 Czech Republic
 Denmark
 Dominican Republic
 Ecuador
 El Salvador
 Estonia
 Ethiopia
 Finland
 France
 Gabon
 Georgia
 Germany
 Greece
 Guinea-Bissau
 Haiti
 Honduras
 Hungary
 Iceland
 Ireland
 Israel
 Italy
 Kazakhstan
 Kyrgyzstan
 Latvia
 Liechtenstein
 Lithuania
 Luxembourg
 Madagascar
 Mali
 Malta
 Marshall Islands
 Mauritius
 Mexico
 Micronesia (Federated States of)
 Monaco
 Montenegro
 Mozambique
 Namibia
 Nauru
   Nepal
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Nicaragua
 Norway
 Palau
 Panama
 Paraguay
 Peru
 Philippines
 Poland
 Portugal
 Republic of Moldova
 Romania
 Russian Federation
 Rwanda
 Samoa
 San Marino
 Sao Tome and Principe
 Serbia
 Slovakia
 Slovenia
 Somalia
 South Africa
 Spain
 Sri Lanka
 Sweden
  Switzerland
 Tajikistan
 The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
 Timor-Leste
 Turkey
 Turkmenistan
 Tuvalu
 Ukraine
 United Kingdom
 Uruguay
 Uzbekistan
 Vanuatu
 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
 Bahrain
 Belarus
 Bhutan
 Cameroon
 Central African Republic
 Cuba
 Djibouti
 Eritrea
 Fiji
 Gambia
 Ghana
 Guatemala
 Guinea
 Jordan
 Kenya
 Lao People's Democratic Republic
 Lebanon
 Lesotho
 Liberia
 Malawi
 Mauritania
 Morocco
 Niger
 Oman
 Papua New Guinea
Republic of Korea
 Senegal
 Sierra Leone
 Suriname
 Togo
 United Arab Emirates
 United Republic of Tanzania
 Viet Nam
 Zambia
 Afghanistan
 Antigua and Barbuda
 Bahamas
 Bangladesh
 Barbados
 Belize
 Botswana
 Brunei Darussalam
 China
 Comoros
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
 Dominica
 Egypt
 Grenada
 Guyana
 India
 Indonesia
 Iran (Islamic Republic of)
 Iraq
 Jamaica
 Japan
 Kuwait
 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
 Malaysia
 Maldives
 Mongolia
 Myanmar
 Nigeria
 Pakistan
 Qatar
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Saudi Arabia
 Singapore
 Solomon Islands
 Sudan
 Swaziland
 Syrian Arab Republic
 Thailand
 Tonga
 Trinidad and Tobago
 Uganda
 United States of America
 Yemen
 Zimbabwe
 Chad
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Equatorial Guinea
 Kiribati
 Seychelles
 Tunisia
Observer States:  Holy See

2010

[edit]
In favour (109)
Abstaining (35) Against (41) Absent (7)
 Albania
 Algeria
 Andorra
 Angola
 Argentina
 Armenia
 Australia
 Austria
 Azerbaijan
 Belgium
 Bhutan
 Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Brazil
 Bulgaria
 Burkina Faso
 Burundi
 Cambodia
 Canada
 Cape Verde
 Chile
 Colombia
 Congo
 Costa Rica
 Croatia
 Cyprus
 Czech Republic
 Denmark
 Dominican Republic
 Ecuador
 El Salvador
 Estonia
 Finland
 France
 Gabon
 Gambia
 Georgia
 Germany
 Greece
 Guatemala
 Guinea-Bissau
 Haiti
 Honduras
 Hungary
 Iceland
 Ireland
 Israel
 Italy
 Kazakhstan
 Kiribati
 Kyrgyzstan
 Latvia
 Liechtenstein
 Lithuania
 Luxembourg
 Madagascar
 Maldives
 Mali
 Malta
 Marshall Islands
 Mexico
 Micronesia (Federated States of)
 Monaco
 Mongolia
 Montenegro
 Mozambique
 Namibia
 Nauru
   Nepal
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Nicaragua
 Norway
 Palau
 Panama
 Paraguay
 Peru
 Philippines
 Poland
 Portugal
 Republic of Moldova
 Romania
 Russian Federation
 Rwanda
 Samoa
 San Marino
 Sao Tome and Principe
 Serbia
 Slovakia
 Slovenia
 Somalia
 South Africa
 Spain
 Sri Lanka
 Sweden
  Switzerland
 Tajikistan
 The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
 Timor-Leste
 Togo
 Turkey
 Turkmenistan
 Tuvalu
 Ukraine
 United Kingdom
 Uruguay
 Uzbekistan
 Vanuatu
 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
 Bahrain
 Belarus
 Cameroon
 Central African Republic
 Comoros
 Cuba
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Djibouti
 Dominica
 Eritrea
 Fiji
 Ghana
 Guinea
 Jordan
 Kenya
 Lao People's Democratic Republic
 Lebanon
 Lesotho
 Liberia
 Malawi
 Mauritania
 Morocco
 Niger
 Nigeria
 Oman
Republic of Korea
 Senegal
 Sierra Leone
 Solomon Islands
 Suriname
 Thailand
 United Arab Emirates
 United Republic of Tanzania
 Viet Nam
 Zambia
 Afghanistan
 Antigua and Barbuda
 Bahamas
 Bangladesh
 Barbados
 Belize
 Botswana
 Brunei Darussalam
 China
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
 Egypt
 Ethiopia
 Grenada
 Guyana
 India
 Indonesia
 Iran (Islamic Republic of)
 Iraq
 Jamaica
 Japan
 Kuwait
 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
 Malaysia
 Myanmar
 Pakistan
 Papua New Guinea
 Qatar
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Saudi Arabia
 Singapore
 Sudan
 Swaziland
 Tonga
 Trinidad and Tobago
 Uganda
 United States of America
 Yemen
 Zimbabwe
 Benin
 Chad
 Cote D'Ivoire
 Equatorial Guinea
 Mauritius
 Seychelles
 Tunisia
Observer States:  Holy See

2012

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2014

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2016

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2018

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2020

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2022

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "General Assembly Adopts Landmark Text Calling for Moratorium on Death Penalty". United Nations. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007.
  2. ^ "Pena di morte, sì dell'Onu alla moratoria proposta dall'Italia" [Death penalty: yes from UN to Italy's proposed moratorium]. La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  3. ^ "New Resolution Approved by the UN. The Pro Moratorium Front Grows". Hands Off Cain. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  4. ^ "World's nations call for executions freeze". World Coalition. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  5. ^ "117 countries vote for a global moratorium on executions". World Coalition. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  6. ^ "The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for a 6th resolution calling for a universal moratorium on executions". World Coalition. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Death penalty: Global abolition closer than ever as record number of countries vote to end executions". WCADP. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Statement on the Adoption of the 8th UN General Assembly Resolution for a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty". WCADP. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  9. ^ "9th Resolution for a moratorium on the death penalty: the trend is growing". World Coalition. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  10. ^ "DEATH PENALTY: NGOs, Italy Seek Worldwide Ban". IPS News. Archived from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2020. IPS, 2006
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