Death penalty

Moratorium on executions now!

The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 62/149 on 18 December 2007, calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions. The resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 104 UN member states in favour, 54 countries against and 29 abstentions.

Although not legally binding, the UN resolution on the moratorium on executions carries considerable moral and political weight. The resolution is a reminder of member states' commitment to work towards abolition of the death penalty. It is also an important tool to encourage retentionist countries to review their use of the death penalty.

Another resolution on the death penalty was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 18 December 2008 on the implementation of the 2007 UNGA resolution 62/149.

Amnesty International calls on countries that still use the death penalty to establish an immediate moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolishing capital punishment.