U.N. General Assembly Adopts Death Penalty Moratorium
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly adopted a moratorium on the death penalty yesterday, overcoming opposition from America, China, and others that argued each nation should be able to choose how to combat crime.
The 104–54 vote for suspending executions is not legally binding but represents a growing global trend against a punishment that many countries say undermines human rights, is a questionable deterrent and mistakenly has killed innocent people.
"There is no conclusive evidence of the death penalty's deterrence value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the death penalty's implementation is irreversible and irreparable," the proponents said in the resolution adopted by the 192-nation assembly. There were 29 abstentions.
Attempts in 1994 and 1999 to have the General Assembly adopt a moratorium on the death penalty failed. But since then, the number of countries that have abolished capital punishment in law or practice has grown to 133, according to Amnesty International.
"Today's vote represents a bold step by the international community," Secretary-General Ban said. "This is further evidence of a trend towards ultimately abolishing the death penalty."
When Mr. Ban came into office in January, he responded to questions about the execution of Saddam Hussein by saying that each country should be allowed to choose its own policies but quickly embraced the official U.N. anti-death penalty view.
The European Union, which requires its 27 members to outlaw capital punishment, led the U.N. campaign. Italy's foreign minister, Massimo D'Alema, came to New York for the vote and hailed it as "an important step" to end capital punishment. The Colosseum of Rome, once the stage of public executions, was to be illuminated last night to celebrate the moratorium.
America joined China, Iran, Sudan, and Syria in opposing the resolution, arguing that it interfered with their sovereign rights. America left most of the criticism to Barbados, Nigeria, and Singapore.
"Capital punishment remains legal under international law, and Barbados wishes to exercise its sovereign right to use it as a deterrent to the most serious crimes," the delegate from Barbados, Mohammed Degia, said before the vote.
Amnesty International says China is the world leader in executions. China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, and America account for 91% of all capital punishment. America has executed 42 prisoners this year.
Despite Washington's official policy embracing the death penalty, New Jersey banned capital punishment Monday. It was the first state in 40 years to join the 13 other American states that do not allow executions.
"These accomplishments, in New Jersey and at the U.N., provide vital proof that there is worldwide growth of a new moral standard of decency and of respect for human rights, even the rights and lives of those who may have committed severe crimes," Mario Marzziti, co-founder of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, said.
