Abolitionists respond with two ethical arguments.

The Commission on Human Rights has continued annually to adopt resolutions calling upon all States that have not already abolished the death penalty to consider establishing a moratorium on executions with a view to completely abolishing the death penalty.

Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the abolition of the death penalty in Uzbekistan

Moreover, abolitionists assail the deterrent effect of the death penalty.

C. States parties to the Second Optional Protocol, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty

Welcoming the fact that many countries that still retain the death penalty in their penal legislation are applying a moratorium on executions, and also welcoming the regional initiatives aimed at the establishment of a moratorium on executions and the abolition of the death penalty,

Nevertheless, according to a survey in 2006, about 80 of Taiwanese still wanted to keep the death penalty.

Juristic organizations were said to be discussing the question of restriction of the scope of capital punishment or total abolition of the death penalty.

Many regional intergovernmental organizations have been involved in promoting abolition.

The abolition of the death penalty had been extensively debated over many years.

Prison conditions were being improved. The Government was preparing a habeas corpus bill, and intended to move towards abolishing the death penalty.

Protocol II of the Covenant provides a separate modality for those States willing to abolish the death penalty in all cases.

The non governmental organization Together against the Death Penalty organized the First World Congress against the Death Penalty in Strasbourg, France, in June 2001 and the Second World Congress against the Death Penalty in Montreal, Canada, in October 2004.

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,

In Portugal, after legislative proposals in 1852 and 1863, the death penalty was abolished in 1867.

Three of these 25 countries abolished capital punishment completely in 2004 Bhutan, Samoa and Senegal.

There had, however, been some discussion on radio and television talk shows about the abolition of capital punishment.

There were seven bills pending before the 13th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines, each one seeking the complete abolition of capital punishment.

One speaker referred to the fact that the deterrent effect of capital punishment had not been proven and that, in his country, the abolition of capital punishment had not led to an increase in crime.

I have the honour to forward the copy of the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on abolition of the death penalty (see annex).

Welcoming the efforts of various sectors of civil society at the national and international levels to achieve the abolition of the death penalty,

Many now claim that abolition of capital punishment is a precondition of a civilized criminal law system.

In response to the question as to why capital punishment had not been abolished for ordinary crimes in Japan, the official response stated The majority of people in Japan recognize the death penalty as a necessary punishment for grievous crimes.

Capital punishment and safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty

Capital punishment and implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty

Capital punishment and implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty

(i) To abolish the punishment of execution by stoning and, in the meantime, to end the practice of stoning, as recommended by the head of the judiciary

Nowadays, it is associations such as Amnesty International and Hands Off Cain that push states to abolish capital punishment.

Although efforts to promote the abolition of the death penalty were important, it was equally important to work with States that retained it and to examine that practice in order to decide whether it raised valid concerns related to the Special Rapporteur's mandate.

Killing the Death Penalty

The question of the death penalty

Several speakers expressed their country's commitment to working towards the universal abolition of the death penalty and in urging all States, in the meantime, to impose a moratorium on executions.

Questions were also asked about the appeal and clemency process and whether there was any discussion or research relating to the question of abolition of the death penalty.

This includes capital punishment.

Enforcement of the death penalty

Retentionist countries and territories that enforced capital punishment at the beginning of 1999

Amnesty International, The exclusion of child offenders from the death penalty under general international law, AI Index ACT 50 004 2003 (July 2003).

Before the draft decision was adopted, statements were made by the representatives of China and Cuba and the observer for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (see E 2005 SR.38).

In May 2002, at a meeting in Rome, the World Coalition against the Death Penalty was founded to bring together non governmental organizations, bar associations, unions, local governments and other organizations in a campaign for the universal abolition of the death penalty.

OSCE has reported abolition of the death penalty for 3 crimes in Kyrgyzstan in 2004 for 10 crimes in Tajikistan and for 6 crimes in Uzbekistan leaving the death penalty available for only 2 crimes.

In Latvia, where there had been a moratorium on executions since 1996, one male had been sentenced to death in 1999 before capital punishment was abolished for ordinary offences later that year.

The Morality of Capital Punishment

The question of the death penalty

Yemen had not acceded to the second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.

Information about death sentences imposed and persons executed was received from six countries Bahrain, Japan, Morocco, Philippines, Thailand and Trinidad and Tobago, plus Latvia for the period prior to abolition.