All about Latvia

The Declaration signed by 18 Foreign Ministers from different world regions, including several that are still on a path towards abolition of the death penalty, brings one common message: International support for abolition is continuing to grow, driven by an increasing awareness of the death penalty’s inherent risks and shortcomings.

Hands Off Cain published its annual report in August. President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma wrote the introduction and the book has been dedicated to Rwanda.

The ratification campaign for the international protocols on the death penalty is on a roll with three new ratifications since January.

The Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)’s Report entitled “The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area: Background Paper 2010” was published and discussed during the “Exchange of views on abolition of capital punishment”.

For 20 years, the United Nations Protocol to abolish the death penalty has been the only universal treaty of worldwide scope to prohibit executions and secure universal abolition of the death penalty for all crimes.

The World Coalition launched its action programme in favour of the UN Protocol to abolish the death penalty on 21 October in Geneva.