THE DEATH PENALTY
IN THE OSCE AREA
A Survey
January 1998 – June 2001
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, September 2001
ODIHR Background Paper 2001/1
The Participating States recall their commitment in the Vienna Concluding Document
to keep the question of capital punishment under consideration and reaffirm their
undertakings in the Document of the Copenhagen Meeting to exchange information
on the question of the abolition of the death penalty and to make available to the
public information regarding the use of the death penalty.
(Document of the 1991 Moscow Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension
of the CSCE, paragraph 36)
This report is prepared under the auspices of the Office for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe for
the benefit of participants at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting.
Every effort has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this report is
accurate and impartial.
This paper updates the Background Paper 1999/1of September 1999 and Background
Paper of March 2000. The paper is intended to highlight key issues and to promote
constructive discussion; the opinions and information contained does not necessarily
reflect the policy and position of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights or of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Any
comments or suggestions should be addressed to the ODIHR.
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