Madam Chair,
I am delivering this statement on behalf of Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Norway and Switzerland.
Our countries categorically reject the application of the death
penalty under all circumstances and everywhere in the world.
The universal abolition of capital punishment is and will remain a
priority of our respective foreign policies.
Our countries are convinced that capital punishment is not only
contrary to the right to life, but also cruel and too often applied in
a discriminatory way. It seriously violates human dignity and
amounts to torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. Moreover,
as numerous studies show, capital punishment has no
proven deterrent effect.
We deplore the execution of Mr. Bigler Stouffer, which took place
on 8 December in the US State of Oklahoma.
This is the second execution within a few weeks in Oklahoma
after a six-year moratorium on executions. The universal trend
towards abolition shows that the death penalty has no place in
the 21st century.
While welcoming the current moratorium on federal executions,
our countries call on the US government to work towards abolition,
and to encourage all states in the country still applying the
death penalty to impose a moratorium on executions.
Thank you, Madam Chair.