It is with great sadness that the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty has marked the passing of Bill Pelke and Roger Hood, who dedicated their lives to abolition.
On 16 December 2020, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 8th resolution for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with 123 votes in favor.
On 5 November, a webinar gathering high-level panelists was held by Ensemble contre la peine de mort / Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) on the moratorium resolution that is expected to be voted on in December.
As with previous years, the 18th World Day Against the Death Penalty brought together abolitionist voices from every corner of the globe, covering a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions. This year’s activities were marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has prompted many of the events to be held virtually or be modified to take safety measures into account. Art performances, educational webinars, social media campaigns, and advocacy meetings with parliamentarians made the 18th World Day successful in shedding light on the importance of effective legal representation and moving the abolitionist cause forward.
The 36th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was being held from 02 to 13 November. On the initiative of the Advocates for Human Rights, the World Coalition brodcasted Facebook live debriefings to cover the review of States that have not yet abolished the death penalty.