Topic:
Country: Ukraine
Delegate Name: Christian Boyce
Committee: Human Rights Council
Topic: Use of the Death Penalty
Country: Ukraine
Delegate: Christian Boyce
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
The death penalty or capital punishment, denoting state-sanctioned killing for a crime, has been used to punish those who have committed grave crimes such as murder, treason, terrorism, war crimes, and other offenses of a similar nature and stature. Currently, close to three quarters of all states have abolished the death penalty, with many others not having used it for a significant amount of time or placing a moratorium on the practice.
Ukraine abolished the death penalty in 2000, and ceased its use in 1997. Ukraine was in favour of the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) resolutions 62/149, 63/168, 65/206 and 67/176 regarding a moratorium on capital punishment. Additionally, Ukraine as a signatory of the European Convention of Human Rights and a member of the Council of Europe, is against the use of the death penalty. Furthermore, Ukraine is a member state of the European Court of Human Rights and has ratified Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which abolished the use of the death penalty during times of peace, which has been in effect since 1985.
The United Nations has passed many resolutions supporting the establishment of a moratorium on the death penalty in all member states. These include resolutions 62/149, 63/168, 65/206 and 67/176 and are all non-binding. Ukraine has voted in favour of all of these resolutions and hopes to see wider adoption of moratoriums on the death penalty or abolitions worldwide.
Ukraine is in support of moratoriums on and abolition of the death penalty worldwide. Ukraine reaffirms all actions the United Nations has previously taken to reduce the use of the death penalty and recognizes the human rights concerns associated with capital punishment. Ukraine looks forward to resolving the issue of the death penalty and finding suitable alternatives with the help and cooperations of other nations.
