“Role of International Organizations in Abolishing the Death Penalty”

Abstract

This study investigates the involvement of international bodies, including the United Nations, the European Union, and Amnesty International, in abolishing the death penalty. It also explores how these organizations monitor states’ adherence, provide support for legal reforms and encourage states to modify their policies in this regard. It also looks into the legal responsibilities placed on nations through international and regional human rights instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Second Optional Protocol. According to international law, executions are not an effective method for lowering crime rates. United Nations resolutions have called on countries to decrease the number of offenses that carry execution and to progressively work toward its complete abolition. This research is based on a qualitative doctrinal approach, focusing on the analysis of laws, treaties, official documents, and some written articles to assess how international and regional systems handle the death penalty. The study concludes by assessing the effectiveness of these treaties and organizational efforts by comparing stated commitments with actual implementation at the national level. Through this comparison, the research identifies the challenges, achievements, and ongoing difficulties in achieving the global abolition of capital punishment.