The President of the Swiss Confederation, Didier Burkhalter, launches a worldwide declaration against the death penalty

The abolition of the death penalty is a high priority for President Didier Burkhalter. The death penalty is incompatible both with human rights – in particular the fundamental right to life – and with justice systems aimed at rehabilitation rather than retribution. Switzerland is working intensively on this issue at the international level, namely in the framework of the UN General Assembly, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe. At the bilateral level, Switzerland engages in dialogue with countries that are on the path towards abolition. Disseminating factual information about the risks and shortcomings of the death penalty is an essential precondition for serious and frank discussions.

Switzerland has set itself an ambitious goal with the strategy it formulated last year: it wishes to promote worldwide abolition of the death penalty, or at least a moratorium on all executions, by 2025. As statistics show, the global trend is moving in this direction: 40 years ago, only 14 countries had abolished the death penalty. Today this practice has been abandoned in 100 countries. If we count those countries that have not carried out any executions in the last 10 years, the number rises to approximately 160. However, there is still work to be done in order to reach the ultimate goal of universal abolition.

For the third consecutive year, President Burkhalter is launching a Joint Declaration on the occasion of the World Day against the Death Penalty, together with other foreign ministers. This year, for the first time, the Declaration is co-signed by countries from around the world, including some that are still in the process of completely abolishing the death penalty.

This year's Declaration is an invitation for increased dialogue and reflection. The death penalty is irreversible and can lead to wrongful convictions, or even executions. Even in modern and transparent justice systems, human error remains an unavoidable risk. Furthermore, the death penalty reinforces discrimination: investigations show that underprivileged, vulnerable or marginalised people are, in many places, disproportionately affected by the death penalty. Moreover, attempts at using the death penalty to fight crime, drug dealing or terrorism are, in Switzerland’s view, ineffective.

In conclusion, there is no justification for retaining the death penalty; there are only considerable risks and disadvantages. This year's Declaration invites everyone to become aware of the death penalty’s many failures and to contribute to worldwide abolition.

Further information:

Joint Declaration of October 10, 2014,Switzerland’s commitment towards abolishing the death penalty,Statement by the President of the Swiss Confederationat the OHCHR event in New York (fr)

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