Background

In its decision 18/117 adopted on 28 September 2011, the Human Rights Council requested “the Secretary-General to continue to submit to the Human Rights Council, in consultation with Governments, specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, a yearly supplement to his quinquennial report on capital punishment and the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, paying special attention to the imposition of the death penalty on persons younger than 18 years of age at the time of the offence, on pregnant women and on persons with mental or intellectual disabilities.” Furthermore, in its resolution 22/11, adopted on 21 March 2013, the Human Rights Council decided that “the yearly supplement to the quinquennial report of the Secretary-General on the question of the death penalty will continue to inform” on the matter of “the human rights of children of parents sentenced to the death penalty or executed.”

The Secretary-General’s report on the question of the death penalty will be presented to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-seventh session in September 2024.

Objectives

The report aims to provide an update on developments since 1 July 2022 regarding the question of the death penalty and the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing the protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, in particular persons under 18 years of age at the time of the offence, pregnant women and persons with mental or intellectual disabilities, and the human rights of children of parents sentenced to the death penalty or executed.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

OHCHR would be grateful to receive relevant information (maximum 1,500 words) covering developments since 1 July 2022 regarding the question of the death penalty, to enable the Secretary-General to report to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-seventh session.

How inputs will be used

Unless requested otherwise, all contributions are made available in full and as received on this webpage.