22nd November, 2007

A United Nations General Assembly committee has passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on executions in what is being seen as an important step towards the passing of abolishing the practice.

The committee, which deals with human rights issues, voted 99 to 52 in favor of the resolution with 33 abstentions last week.

The resolution stated that “there is no conclusive evidence of the death penaltyís deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the death penaltyís implementation is irreversible and irreparable”.

The resolution will go before the 192 member assembly in December. Any resolution it makes will be non-binding. Similar resolutions were introduced in 1994 and 1999 but were not passed.

The resolution calls for nations that practice the death penalty to “respect international standards that provide safeguards guaranteeing the protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty” and to progressively restrict the use of the death penalty and reduce the number of offences for which it may be imposed.

Twenty-five nations, including the US, Japan, Singapore, China, Iran and Iraq, carried out executions in 2006, according to Amnesty International. A total of 69 countries use the death penalty.

~ www.un.org

- DAVID ADAMS