The UN’s Death Blow

Global citizens expect the United Nations to be relevant in a modern world by taking stands on difficult issues. A call from the UN General Assembly for a worldwide moratorium on the application of the death penalty is a step in protecting human rights, according to Louise Arbour, UN high commissioner for human rights. More than 130 nations have abolished the death penalty with six – Iran, Iraq, China, Pakistan, Sudan and the US – responsible for more than 90 percent of the world’s executions. Arguments against the penalty include doubts about its deterrent effects on criminality, the danger of errors in its application, the irreparable consequences of such errors, and disproportionate application for the poor, minorities and other vulnerable populations, explains Arbour, in an opinion essay for the Los Angeles Times. She concludes: “Ultimately, it is through example that more countries may be persuaded to join the consensus and abandon the abhorrent practice of capital punishment.” – YaleGlobal