Moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty: Switzerland welcomes UN vote
Bern, 20.11.2012 - Article - The draft resolution for the United Nations’ biennial call for the establishment of a worldwide moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty was approved on Monday by 110 States. Switzerland welcomes this result. Human rights issues are an abiding concern in Switzerland’s foreign policy, and the fight to abolish capital punishment is a matter of the highest priority in Switzerland’s human rights policy.
This Monday, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly cast its vote on a fourth resolution calling for the establishment of a worldwide moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. The resolution has obtained increasing support since it was adopted for the first time by the same body in 2007. This year, 110 States voted in favour of the draft text, with 36 abstentions and 39 opposing. As compared with 2010, the number of favourable votes has grown by one, while the number of opposing votes has been reduced by two. The resolution was co-sponsored by 91 States from around the world, including Switzerland. These are the best results that have been obtained since 2007, providing concrete evidence of the advances that have been made towards abolishing capital punishment and which can no longer be reversed. Despite its non-binding nature, this United Nations resolution carries considerable moral and political weight.
Switzerland was at the forefront of countries from all continents that strove to ensure that this resolution would be more far-reaching, by reaffirming the ultimate intention of the States to see a universal abolition of the death penalty. It therefore applauds the result obtained and the clear message that has been sent by the Third Committee.
Switzerland’s commitment does not stop there, however. Switzerland will continue to actively work for the abolition of the death penalty. Its efforts on behalf of this resolution are part of an ongoing campaign, including notably the upcoming Fifth World Congress Against the Death Penalty, which is being co-sponsored by Switzerland and is scheduled to be held in Madrid in June 2013.
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