"The road to universal abolition lies in reducing executions"

Abolishing the death penalty has been one of Switzerland's foreign policy priorities for over four decades. Why is Switzerland so committed to this cause?

First, it's because Switzerland has a clear position which is firmly enshrined in its legal system: the death penalty is a violation of the fundamental right to life and human dignity. Capital punishment is simply not consistent with respect for human rights. Because of Switzerland's unequivocal stance on this issue, it has credibility and predictability. This means we can raise the subject with countries that haven't as yet abolished the death penalty in a constructive manner. Second, Switzerland's continuing engagement in this area is a sign that despite the major inroads being made on universal abolition, there is still a lot to be done. Which brings me to the new action plan.

Yes, what does the action plan actually set out?

It starts with a simple fact. Even though the number of states that have abolished the death penalty has gone up from 55 to 113 in the space of thirty years, the number of actual executions around the world has not gone down for some time. This means that an ever-smaller minority of countries still resort to the practice in an extensive way. Because of this, the FDFA's action plan focuses on diplomatic action to limit capital punishment worldwide while continuing to support the trend towards universal abolition.

How does the FDFA intend to limit these executions?

By working at both multilateral and bilateral level. Every two years at the Human Rights Council (HRC) for example, Switzerland and a group of other states present a resolution aimed at developing global standards to address the issue of human rights violations linked to the use of capital punishment . In practical terms, the idea is to gradually reduce the scope for when and how the death penalty can be applied. Don't forget, international law doesn't actually prohibit capital punishment – it only limits its use to 'the most serious crimes', which the HRC has interpreted as intentional homicide. In this way, Switzerland is seeking to step up efforts to ensure compliance with the legal stipulations in this area and to conduct follow-up work bilaterally with retentionist states so that they implement the standards aimed at limiting the application of the death penalty.

So what are the arguments Switzerland is putting forward?

Around 40% of the executions carried out all over the world are for drug-related offences. Without dismissing the seriousness of drug trafficking and the impact it has on societies, Switzerland remains convinced that applying the death penalty in these instances is not only contrary to international law but also makes it even harder to cooperate effectively at international level in order to combat the crime in the first place. No scientific study has proven that the death penalty has a greater deterrent effect on potential criminals than other severe penalties. These are some of the aspects that we put forward during our bilateral dialogues with retentionist countries. We try to persuade them to limit their application of the death penalty as a first step towards full abolition in the longer term.

What is the critical factor in global efforts to combat capital punishment?

The African proverb 'If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together' aptly describes current international action for universal abolition. It is only thanks to the joint efforts of states, NGOs and all other actors committed to universal abolition that major inroads have been possible. And that's also why stepping up international cooperation is one of the action fields in the new action plan.