Global push to halt executions wins support despite US opposition

The draft resolution was approved on November 13, 2026, by the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and human rights issues. Sixteen countries abstained.

The United States opposed the measure alongside China, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Qatar. Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Cameroon, Niger, Thailand and Vietnam were among the countries that abstained.

Sponsored by Switzerland and Mexico, the resolution calls on countries that retain the death penalty to establish a moratorium on executions as part of efforts towards its eventual abolition. It does not itself abolish capital punishment or compel countries to change their national laws.

Switzerland welcomed the vote, saying it sent a message of hope at a time when executions were increasing and would strengthen protection for people awaiting execution, including women and older people.

“The message is clear: there is no justice in killing,” Switzerland said.

France also welcomed the outcome, describing it as an important step towards the worldwide abolition of the death penalty and reaffirming its commitment to achieving that goal.

The vote comes amid a sharp rise in recorded executions worldwide. Amnesty International said at least 2,707 people were executed in 17 countries in 2025, a 78 per cent increase from the 1,518 executions recorded in 2024.

The figure was the highest recorded by the organisation since 1981. However, it does not include thousands of executions believed to have been carried out in China, where official figures remain classified, or executions in other countries where reliable information was unavailable.

Amnesty International also recorded at least 2,334 new death sentences in 48 countries during 2025. By the end of the year, at least 25,508 people were under sentence of death worldwide.

In sub-Saharan Africa, recorded executions fell from 34 in 2024 to 18 in 2025, with executions reported in Somalia and South Sudan. However, the number of death sentences in the region rose from at least 443 to 771 over the same period.

Rwanda abolished the death penalty in 2007, replacing it with life imprisonment. Its vote in favour of the latest resolution places it among countries supporting an international halt to executions.

The Third Committee’s approval is not the final step in the UN process. The draft resolution will be submitted for consideration by the General Assembly.