CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
Mr. Chair,
I am speaking on behalf of Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway.
We reiterate our firm opposition to the death penalty in all cases and without exception. It is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, incompatible with human rights and human dignity. It perpetuates the miscarriage of justice.
In 2019, three persons have been executed in the United States of America. The State of Texas has carried out two, while the State of Alabama has carried out one.
In contrast, the State of California has joined the global trend to move away from the death penalty by formally declaring a moratorium on executions on 13 March, granting temporary reprieve to the 737 inmates on death row. This is a welcome step toward abolition.
We continue to call on the two participating States that retain the death penalty, the United States of America and Belarus, to suspend all executions, take immediate, further steps towards abolition, and join our efforts to free our region of the death penalty.
Thank you.