UN Votes on Death Penalty Moratorium. Guess Where the USA Stands? http://www.undispatch.com/un-votes-on-death-penalty-moratorium-guess-where-the-usa-stands
[image: Mark Leon Goldberg] November 12, 2010 Mark Leon Goldberg <http://www.undispatch.com/author/un-direct/> Category: Rights <http://www.undispatch.com/category/rights> Topics: General Assembly <http://www.undispatch.com/tag/general-assembly> Every few year since 2007, the United Nations General Assembly votes on a resolution to impose a global moratorium on the death penalty. Like all General Assembly resolutions, it has no force of law per se, but it is an important symbolic gesture of global opinion. Yesterday's vote, which took place in the Third Committee<http://www.un.org/en/ga/third/index.shtml>of the General Assembly passed by 107 votes in favor, 38 against with 36 abstentions. This represents a much wider margin of victory<http://af.reuters.com/article/rwandaNews/idAFN1120805620101112>over the first vote in 2007, which was 104 votes in favor, 54 against and 29 abstentions. Amnesty reports: "Bhutan, Kiribati, Maldives, Mongolia and Togo changed their vote to back the moratorium. In a further sign of support, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Solomon Islands and Thailand moved from opposition to abstention." The trend is very clearly toward a wider and wider recognition that the death penalty is abhorrent to human rights. According to Amnesty International <http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/un-votes-once-again-end-executions-2010-11-12>when the UN was founded in 1945 only eight states had abolished the death penalty for all crimes. Today, 136 out of the 192 UN member states have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. So it is disappointing –though not all together unsurprising – to see the United States joining forces with such bastions of human rights as Egypt and Myanmar to vote against the moratorium. And if you have any doubts about whether or not the death penalty should be so enthusiastically applied here in the USA, do some research into the case of Cameron Todd Willingham. <http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann> ------------------------ http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html The Death Penalty Worldwide According to Amnesty International, 137 countries have abolished the death penalty. Argentina, Chile, and Uzbekistan outlawed the death penalty in 2008. During 2007, 24 countries, 88% in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States alone, executed 1,252 people compared to 1,591 in 2006. Nearly 3,350 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries. More than 20,000 prisoners are on death row across the world. *See also* U.S. Figures.<http://www.infoplease.com/cgi-bin/id/A0875651> Death Penalty Outlawed (year)1 - Albania (2000) - Andorra (1990) - Angola (1992) - Argentina (2008) - Armenia (2003) - Australia (1984) - Austria (1950) - Azerbaijan (1998) - Belgium (1996) - Bhutan (2004) - Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997) - Bulgaria (1998) - Cambodia (1989) - Canada (1976) - Cape Verde (1981) - Chile (2008) - Colombia (1910) - Cook Islands (2007) - Costa Rica (1877) - Côte d'Ivoire (2000) - Croatia (1990) - Cyprus (1983) - Czech Republic (1990) - Denmark (1933) - Djibouti (1995) - Dominican Republic (1966) - East Timor (1999) - Ecuador (1906) - Estonia (1998) - Finland (1949) - France (1981) - Georgia (1997) - Germany (1949) - Greece (1993) - Guinea-Bissau (1993) - Haiti (1987) - Honduras (1956) - Hungary (1990) - Iceland (1928) - Ireland (1990) - Italy (1947) - Kiribati (1979) - Liberia (2005) - Liechtenstein (1987) - Lithuania (1998) - Luxembourg (1979) - Macedonia (1991) - Malta (1971) - Marshall Islands (1986) - Mauritius (1995) - Mexico (2005) - Micronesia (1986) - Moldova (1995) - Monaco (1962) - Montenegro (2002) - Mozambique (1990) - Namibia (1990) - Nepal (1990) - Netherlands (1870) - New Zealand (1961) - Nicaragua (1979) - Niue (n.a.) - Norway (1905) - Palau (n.a.) - Panama (1903) - Paraguay (1992) - Poland (1997) - Portugal (1867) - Philippines (2006) - Romania (1989) - Rwanda (2007) - Samoa (2004) - San Marino (1848) - São Tomé and Príncipe (1990) - Senegal (2004) - Serbia (2002) - Seychelles (1993) - Slovak Republic (1990) - Slovenia (1989) - Solomon Islands (1966) - South Africa (1995) - Spain (1978) - Sweden (1921) - Switzerland (1942) - Turkey (2002) - Turkmenistan (1999) - Tuvalu (1978) - Ukraine (1999) - United Kingdom (1973) - Uruguay (1907) - Uzbekistan (2008) - Vanuatu (1980) - Vatican City (1969) - Venezuela (1863) Death Penalty Outlawed for Ordinary Crimes2 (year) - Bolivia (1997) - Brazil (1979) - Cook Islands (n.a.) - El Salvador (1983) - Fiji (1979) - Israel (1954) - Kazakhstan (2007) - Kyrgyzstan (2007) - Latvia (1999) - Peru (1979) De Facto Ban on Death Penalty3 (year)4 - Algeria (1993) - Benin (1987) - Brunei Darussalam (1957) - Burkina Faso (1988) - Central African Republic (1981) - Congo (Republic) (1982) - Eritrea (n.a.) - Gabon (n.a.) - Gambia (1981) - Ghana (n.a.) - Grenada (1978) - Kenya (n.a.) - Korea, South (n.a.) - Laos (n.a.) - Liberia (n.a.) - Madagascar (1958) - Malawi (n.a.) - Maldives (1952) - Mali (1980) - Mauritania (1987) - Morocco (1993) - Myanmar (1993) - Nauru (1968) - Niger (1976) - Papua New Guinea (1950) - Russia (1999) - Sri Lanka (1976) - Suriname (1982) - Swaziland (n.a.) - Tajikistan (n.a.) - Tanzania (n.a.) - Togo (n.a.) - Tonga (1982) - Tunisia (1990) - Zambia (n.a.) Death Penalty Permitted - Afghanistan - Antigua and Barbuda - Bahamas - Bahrain - Bangladesh - Barbados - Belarus - Belize - Botswana - Burundi - Cameroon - Chad - China (People's Republic) - Comoros - Congo (Democratic Republic) - Cuba - Dominica - Egypt - Equatorial Guinea - Eritrea - Ethiopia - Gabon - Ghana - Guatemala - Guinea - Guyana - India - Indonesia - Iran - Iraq - Jamaica - Japan - Jordan - Korea, North - Korea, South - Kuwait - Laos - Lebanon - Lesotho - Libya - Malawi - Malaysia - Mongolia - Nigeria - Oman - Pakistan - Palestinian Authority - Qatar - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Lucia - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Saudi Arabia - Sierra Leone - Singapore - Somalia - Sudan - Swaziland - Syria - Taiwan - Tajikistan - Tanzania - Thailand - Trinidad and Tobago - Uganda - United Arab Emirates - United States - Vietnam - Yemen - Zambia - Zimbabwe NOTE: n.a. = date not available. 1. If death penalty was outlawed for ordinary crimes before it was outlawed in all cases, the earlier date is given. 2. Death penalty is permitted only for exceptional crimes, such as crimes committed under military law or in wartime. 3. Death penalty is sanctioned by law but has not been the practice for ten or more years. 4. Year of last execution. *Source:* Amnesty International. Read more: The Death Penalty Worldwide — Infoplease.com<http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html#ixzz15HEQTFJh> http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html#ixzz15HEQTFJh <http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann> --------------- India votes against moratorium on death penaltyPTI, Nov 12, 2010, 12.40pm IST <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-votes-against-moratorium-on-death-penalty/articleshow/6912653.cms#ixzz15HF9AYN4> UNITED NATIONS: India <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/India> voted along with Iran <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Iran>, Saudi Arabia <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saudi-Arabia> and China<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/China>in opposing a resolution in the United Nations <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/United-Nations> for a moratorium on the death penalty, but the proposal received support from a majority of nations. The non-binding resolution received 107 votes in favour, 38 against and 36 abstentions, with the US, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, along with India among those who voted against it. The resolution called on the 192 member states of the United Nations to "establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty". A similar resolution was adopted by the General Assembly in 2007, which received 104 positive votes. Observers noted that an increase in the number of "yes" votes indicated that the movement against death penalty<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=death%20penalty>is getting stronger, which is also reflected in the decline of negative votes from 54 to 38 and a rise in abstentions from 29. Read more: India votes against moratorium on death penalty - The Times of India<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-votes-against-moratorium-on-death-penalty/articleshow/6912653.cms#ixzz15HEt5LKd> http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-votes-against-moratorium-on-death-penalty/articleshow/6912653.cms#ixzz15HEt5LKd -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
