UN Secretary General Calls for Death Penalty Abolition

“The death penalty has no place in the 21st century” said UN Secretary Guterres as part of World Day Against the Death Penalty.  The event took place at the United Nations and Mr. Guterres was joined by the Assistant UN Secretary for Human Rights,   Andrew Gilmour.  According to UN News Center,  “Some governments conceal executions and enforce an elaborate system of secrecy to hide who is on death row, and why,” noted Mr. Guterres, underscoring that lack of transparency showed a lack of respect for the human rights of those sentenced to death and to their families, as well as damaging administration of justice more generally.”

The News Center goes on to note that “The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), now ratified by 85 States around the globe, requires its parties to abolish death penalty. It is the only universal international legal instrument that aims to end the practice.”

Further coverage may be found at deathpenaltyinfo.com