GLOBAL MORATORIUM ON THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY

That this House welcomes the United Nations General Assembly resolution vote on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty passed on 18th December 2007; further welcomes the support on this matter from 104 countries; notes that the UN remains an essential forum for highlighting international trends in opinion regarding human rights; observes with concern that 54 countries, including China, Iran and the United States, continue to support the use of the death penalty despite the UN General Assembly's third committee concluding that there is no conclusive evidence of the death penalty having deterrent value and that miscarriages of justice brought about by implementation of the death penalty are irreversible and irreparable; encourages the Government to call upon all countries which did not vote in favour of this resolution to make public their opposition to the death penalty; and further encourages the Government to maintain pressure on the international community to pursue the ultimate aim of abolishing the death penalty in all countries worldwide.