ECPM’s oral statement cosponsored by FIACAT
General debate under item 3
51st session of the Human Rights Council
20 September 2022
Mr. President,
ECPM, FIACAT, Advocates for Human Rights, PGA, ASF-France, UIA, LAW-Pakistan, CPR-Japan, CHESO and COCAPEM, members of the World Coalition against the death penalty welcome the Secretary General’s report and recommendations on the question of the death penalty.
We would like to draw your attention on worrying developments in retentionist countries. In 2022, executions increased alarmingly in Saudi Arabia and Iran, where two LGBT+ activists have been sentenced to death recently. Executions resumed in Oklahoma, Singapore and in Myanmar after a 30-year moratorium.
2022 has seen positive developments in Africa with the recent abolition of the death penalty in Central African Republic and the submission of a death penalty abolition bill by the President of Zambia to the Parliament. Good news is also coming from Asia. Recently, Malaysia announced a moratorium on executions and is now working on alternative sentences to the mandatory death penalty.
The end of 2022 will be marked by the 20th World Day against the death penalty, the 8th World Congress against the death penalty and the vote for the UNGA resolution calling for a universal moratorium on the use of the death penalty. We hope that UN member states will take advantage of these events to work towards universal abolition.
The 8th World Congress, organised by ECPM, to be held in Berlin from 15 to 18 November 2022, under the sponsorship of Germany, France, Switzerland and the EU, is an opportunity for states to confirm positive developments towards the abolition of the death penalty.
Thank you.
 ECPM_item3_general debate_sept 2022.pdf |