Mr. Chair,
I am speaking on behalf of Andorra, Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Kingdom and my own country Switzerland.
The 10th of October marked the 23rd World Day against the Death Penalty.
We categorically oppose the death penalty under all circumstances, as we firmly believe that its use leads to violations of the human rights of the persons facing the death penalty and of other affected persons, and that it is contrary to human dignity. In this context, we welcome the continued global trend towards the abolition of the death penalty, including in the OSCE region. Today, nearly three-quarters of states have abolished it in law or practice, reinforcing the universal recognition of the right to life. Amid increasing threats to human rights worldwide, this progress deserves recognition and reinforcement.
However, these gains should not breed complacency: global executions have risen in recent years, underscoring the ongoing urgency of abolition efforts.
In light of this, it is important to emphasize that the death penalty neither makes communities safer nor serves as a deterrent to crime. Instead, it exacerbates cycles of violence and is often used as a tool of repression.
We urge all remaining countries across the OSCE region to abolish the death penalty.
Regarding Belarus, we deeply deplore the extension of the death penalty to additional categories of crime in recent years. We urge the Belarusian authorities to reverse this trend and establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition.
We also remain concerned that the United States continues to carry out executions, having lifted its federal moratorium. We call on the US to reinstate this moratorium.
Mr. Chair,
Our countries are committed to the universal abolition of the death penalty and call on all states, both within and beyond the OSCE, to fully abolish it or, at minimum, establish an immediate moratorium, in accordance with the right to life.
We welcome the recent adoption of the Human Rights Council resolution on the question of the death penalty, which seeks to establish international standards to prevent human rights violations in its application. The thematic focus of this year’s resolution lies on the principle of equality of arms, which is an essential part of the right of every person to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal. We urge all States to reflect on this message, as well as to move towards abolition in a world where the death penalty has no place.
Furthermore, the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference once again demonstrated the important contribution of civil society actors in the campaign for the universal abolition of the death penalty. Their work has been crucial to the progress made so far.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.