In a landmark vote, more than two thirds of the UN membership have supported the UN call for the establishment of a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. The vote took place at the plenary session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on 17 December 2024.
Following the announcement, Chiara Sangiorgio, Amnesty International’s expert on the death penalty, said:
“This vote marks a major turning point for countries around the world and proves that UN member states are steadily moving closer to rejecting the death penalty as a lawful punishment under international human rights law. The support from states for the death penalty looks very different from when international treaties allowing for its retention were first adopted. The unprecedented support for this resolution shows that the global journey towards abolition is unstoppable.
“These resolutions carry considerable moral and political weight, ensuring that the way in which this cruel punishment is used will continue to be scrutinized. Those voting in favour of the call for a moratorium on executions now represent a two third majority of all countries, having risen from 104 in 2007 to 130 this year. In a hugely positive move, this year’s vote saw Antigua and Barbuda, Kenya, Morocco and Zambia vote in favour of the call for a moratorium for the first time, reflecting steady advances and dialogues towards abolition at national level.
This vote shows a developing consensus among states towards rejecting executions as a practice compatible with the protection of human rights.
Chiara Sangiorgio, Amnesty International’s death penalty expert
“However, we regret the support given to language in the resolution reaffirming the sovereign right of each state to determine their own criminal penalties to justify the imposition of the death penalty. This language must be rejected as a matter of priority, as it weakens the spirit of UN resolutions as the standard to aspire to and has the only intention of stymieing human rights progress on an issue as important as the death penalty.
“Amnesty International has been campaigning for an end to the death penalty for close to five decades. This vote shows a developing consensus among states towards rejecting executions as a practice compatible with the protection of human rights. Despite alarming execution figures recorded in countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA in 2023, the number of states that still carry out executions represents a small and isolated minority.
“Prompted also by this resolution, countries that still retain the death penalty must take immediate steps towards abolition, while all UN member states must bring accountability for the flagrant violations of the right to life that we are witnessing daily through executions.”
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence, or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.
Background
- 130 UN member states, more than two-thirds of the UN membership, voted to adopt the tenth resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, while 32 voted against the proposal and 22 abstained. This resolution was proposed by Argentina and Italy on behalf of an Inter-Regional Task Force of member states and co-sponsored by 70 states.
- Support for the resolution has increased since it was last adopted by the plenary session in December 2022. Several states changed their vote positively compared to then. Antigua and Barbuda changed its vote from against to in favour. Gabon, Kenya, Morocco and Zambia voted in favour, after abstaining in 2022; and the Bahamas, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of the Congo changed from against to abstention. Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Somalia and Vanuatu voted in favour, after not voting at the plenary two years ago.
- Several countries negatively changed their position. Guinea and Uganda changed from vote in favour in 2022 to abstention this year. Mauritania and Papua New Guinea moved from abstention to vote against.
- Dominica, Grenada and Syria, which had voted against in 2022, as well as the Central African Republic and Marshall Islands, which had voted in favour in 2022, were not present at yesterday’s vote. Comoros abstained, after it was not present in 2022.
- Since 2007, the UNGA has adopted ten resolutions calling for the establishment of a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty, with increased cross-regional support.
- The number of countries classified by Amnesty International as abolitionists for all crimes has grown from 90 in 2007 to the current figure of 113.
