The failure of the CND to condemn the use of the death penalty and include its abolition as a programmatic goal across all its work has weighed heavily against attempts to bring accountability for these human rights violations committed in the name of drug control. Pending full abolition, international human rights law restricts the imposition of this punishment to “the most serious crimes”. Alarmingly, Amnesty International recorded more than 700 executions for these crimes between 2018 and 2022, in just a handful of countries. Amnesty International reiterates its call on the CND and UNODC to consistently incorporate human rights into their work.
