"Despite progress in abolishing the death penalty, thousands remain on death row"

The number of countries executing prisoners is declining but even so thousands remain on death row, often in appalling conditions and without access to legal services.

In his most recent report to the United Nations General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns confirms the trend away from the death penalty. Only 50 of the 193 UN Member States are considered to be retentionist. The remainder have either abolished or introduced a moratorium on the death penalty.