UN Report Shows Declining Use of the Death Penalty Worldwide

UN Report Shows Declining Use of the Death Penalty Worldwide

A report from the Secretary-General to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations on the status of the death penalty worldwide shows a declining use of capital punishment:

The report shows an encouraging trend towards abolition and restriction of the use of capital punishment in most countries. It also shows that much remains to be done in the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of persons facing the death penalty in those countries that retain it.

(Executive Summary).

Over the 5 year period of the survey, 17 fewer countries retained the use of the death penalty.

Status of the death penalty at the beginning and end of the five-year survey period, 1999-2003
Status of countries

I. Completely abolitionist
II. Abolitionist for ordinary crimes
III. Retentionist—de facto abolitionist (i.e., no executions in 10 years or an official hold on executions as a prelude to abolition)
IV. Retentionist

I. II. III. IV.
1/1/99 70 11 34 79
12/31/03 80 12 41 62

The report also lists the number of executions by country during 1999-2003 (5 leading countries in bold):

Afghanistan 78
Belarus 37-52
China 6,687
Dem. Rep. Congo 350
Egypt 59+
Iran 604+
Japan 13
Jordan 52+
Nigeria 4
Pakistan 48+
Saudi Arabia 403+
Singapore 138
Sudan 53+
Taiwan 67
Tajikistan 35+
Thailand 43
Uganda 33
USA 385
Uzbekistan 35+
Viet Nam 128+
Yemen 144+
Zimbabwe 3

(Capital punishment and implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, Report of the Secretary-General to Economic and Social Council, E/2005/3, Session July 29, 2005).