Germany regards the right to life as the most precious thing there is. That’s why the Federal Government and its partners in the European Union have for many years been pursuing an active campaign against the death penalty around the world. There have been some notable successes: more and more states – over 130 at present – have suspended enforcement of the death penalty or completely abolished it; about 95% of all executions worldwide now take place in just seven states.

Our campaign against the death penalty is waged on several levels: within the United Nations framework, the Federal Government plays an active part in formulating the UN resolution on the death penalty moratorium, which has been adopted regularly since 2007. The most important result of the successful adoption of this resolution is the visible documentation of the worldwide trend towards abolishing the death penalty. Over and above this, abolition of the death penalty is also repeatedly on the agenda in bilateral talks with representatives of other governments and a focal point for project funding from the Federal Foreign Office. Projects which inform and raise awareness of the human right to life have proved particularly worthwhile. Finally, the Federal Government, in close cooperation with its EU partners, is firmly committed to preventing death penalties from being carried out and makes diplomatic interventions in individual cases.

(Copyright: Auswärtiges Amt)