-
-
World Day10th World Day against the Death Penalty
Significant progress to end the death penalty has been made over the past 10 years. Global momentum continues to build toward complete abolition, but work remains to be done to end capital punishment.
-
The worldwide trend towards abolition: progress of the past 10 years
The last decade has seen a large increase in the number of countries that have officially abolished the death penalty or eliminated the use of the death penalty in practice:
• 141 countries are abolitionist in law or in practice;
• 97 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes;
• 36 countries have abolished the death penalty in practice;
• 8 countries have abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes.
According to Amnesty International, 21 countries recorded executions in 2011, compared to 31 countries 10 years ago. Even the USA, one of the worst offenders in the use of the death penalty, has shown progress as individual states have abolished or limited the death penalty.
Many other countries have also abolished the death penalty in the past decade, including: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Bhutan, Burundi, Cook Islands, Gabon, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mexico, the Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Togo, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Several countries that have not legally abolished the death penalty have at least ended it in practice, either by declaring an official moratorium or by not carrying out executions. For example, Sierra Leone and Nigeria have declared a moratorium on executions, and Tajikistan has had a moratorium on both death sentences and executions since 2004.
Many countries that have not yet abolished or imposed a moratorium have taken steps to narrow the scope of the death penalty. Kazakhstan has abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. China recently eliminated the death penalty for certain economic crimes, and it has reintroduced mandatory review of all death penalty cases by the Supreme People’s Court.
Over the last decade, several retentionist countries have implemented many of the universal international safeguards on their application of the death penalty and have eliminated that punishment for certain categories of persons. For example:
• Persons suffering from intellectual disabilities: in 2003, the US Supreme Court prohibited the execution of people with intellectual disabilities.
• Persons suffering from mental illness: Thailand has ceased using the death penalty against persons suffering from mental disorders.
• Juveniles: while a few countries, including Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen, have sentenced juvenile offenders to death, Iran was the only country in 2010 and 2011 to still execute those under the age of 18 at the time the crime was committed. In a promising move, in May 2011, Sudan accepted the UN Human Rights Council recommendations that it would not apply the death penalty against juvenile offenders.
• Pregnant women: In 2003, Uganda stated a death sentence cannot be imposed on a pregnant woman, and she will receive a sentence of life imprisonment instead.
Focus forward: challenges ahead in the next 10 years
Some countries have expanded, or attempted to expand, the scope of the death penalty over the last decade to include:
• Drugs: 32 countries or territories still have laws imposing the death penalty for drug offences. Drug offenders make up the majority of those condemned to die in many retentionist countries.
• Homosexuality: some countries, including Liberia and Uganda, have launched efforts to impose the death penalty for acts of homosexuality.
• Terrorism: some countries are adopting or amending laws for terrorist crimes or against those supporting terrorist acts - not necessarily lethal ones. Syria imposed the death penalty for those arming terrorists in December 2011. Bangladesh, India and Nigeria have also adopted laws expanding the scope of the death penalty by including terrorist acts among the offenses punishable by death.
Certain countries have resumed their use of the death penalty. Afghanistan, Taiwan, Equatorial Guinea, the United Arab Emirates and Japan have resumed executions after a hiatus, in stark contrast with the global trend of abolition.
Finally, countries such as China and Iran continue to carry out their executions in secrecy, contrary to fundamental notions that such information should be made available to the public. Moreover, transparency is critical to prevent errors or abuses and safeguard fairness.
Further work to eradicate the death penalty
On a global scale, further work needs to be done to build on the foundation of abolition thus far by focusing on the following goals:
• Promote national legislation abolishing the death penalty.
• Increase ratifications of the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.
• Support international standards calling for the abolition or restricted use of the death penalty.
• Support adoption of the 2012 UN General Assembly Resolution on a moratorium: in December 2012, the UN General Assembly will vote on a fourth resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
-
World DayCalendar of events for World Day
On 10 October 2013, the World Day Against the Death Penalty is focusing on the death penalty in the Greater Caribbean. Browse the schedule and the map to prepare and promote the events planned around the world on the big day.
Article by WCADP published on September 10th, 2013 -
World DayThe great abolitionist event comes to the UN
For the first time in nine years, the United Nations has participated in festivities marking the World Day Against the Death Penalty.
Article by Aurélie Plaçais published on October 17th, 2011 -
World DayWorld Day Buzz In Africa
Conferences, round tables, talks, tours, meetings with politicians, debates, press conferences, sit-ins, cultural evenings, marches and speeches are among the many events that will take place in Africa for this 9th World Day Against the Death Penalty.
Article by Emile Carreau published on October 06th, 2011 -
World Day8th World Day Against the Death Penalty: USA
On 10 October 2010, the 8th World Day Against the Death Penalty is dedicated to the USA which executed 52 people and handed down 106 death sentences in 2009.
Article by Aurélie Plaçais published on May 10th, 2010 -
World Day7th World Day Against the Death Penalty: teaching abolition
On 10 October 2009, World Day Against the Death Penalty, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty wishes to teach abolition to all citizens around the world, especially to teenagers aged 14 to 18.
Article by Aurélie Plaçais published on July 27th, 2009 -
World Day6th World Day Against the Death Penalty: open your eyes on Asia
On 10 October 2008, World Day Against the Death Penalty, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty calls on all citizens around the world to take action to end executions in Asia.
Article by Aurélie Plaçais published on August 04th, 2008 -
World Day5th World Day against the death penalty: the world decides!
On October 10th, 2007, the World Day against the Death Penalty focussed on the proposed UN General Assembly resolution for a universal moratorium on executions. The proposal would save lives and give the population of retentionist states an opportunity to see for themselves that a pause in death sentences does not lead to higher crime rates.
Article by Thomas Hubert published on June 29th, 2007 -
World DayPosters: World Days Against the Death Penalty
Posters of the World Days Against the Death Penalty since its beginning in 2003.
Gallery published on August 24th, 2012 -
World Day10 October 2011 in pictures
On 10 October 2011, the 9th World Day Against the Death Penalty raised awareness on the inhumanity of the death penalty throughout the entire process, from sentence to execution.
Gallery published on October 22nd, 2011
-
-
- Keywords
- Trend Towards Abolition
- Attached documents
- 2011 World Day Report | English |
- Poster - 10th World Day | English |
- Leaflet - 10th World Day | English |
- Mobilisation Kit 2012 | English |
- Pegagogical Guide: Teaching Abolition (2nd Edition) | English |
- Detailed Fact Sheet: Progress Made in 10 years and Challenges Ahead | English |
- Focus on
-
World Day
18th World Day Against the Death Penalty: Access to counsel - A matter of life or death
On 10 October 2020, the World Day Against the Death Penalty will be dedicated to the right to effective legal representation for individuals who may face a death sentence.
