Marking World Drugs Day on 26 June, in this joint public statement Amnesty International together with NGO partners calls on UNODC and all other UN agencies and international actors to take concrete, urgent actions against the ongoing violations of human rights in the name of drug control that the use of the death penalty for drug related offences entails. It is crucial for these bodies to not only reject the use of the death penalty but to act in consequence by publicly and privately engaging with Member States that still apply this cruel punishment and ensuring that any support or other form of cooperation and technical assistance does not lead to the application of the death penalty.
UNODC must start playing its part to ensure that drug policies around the world are consistent with international human rights law, including by working towards the repeal of drug laws that still carry the death penalty. Repealing these laws is an essential element in the world’s journey towards full abolition of the death penalty.
