WASHINGTON (CNS) — When the U.N. Normal Meeting handed a decision Dec. 15 to ascertain a worldwide “moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the demise penalty,” the USA continued its follow of voting in opposition to it.
The U.S. was joined by 36 different international locations in opposing a decision that comes up each two years. This yr, 125 international locations voted in favor of it and 22 international locations didn’t vote.
“It’s previous time that the U.S. be a part of the supermajority of nations who vote in favor of a common demise penalty moratorium,” mentioned Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, govt director of Catholic Mobilizing Community, noting that general help for this motion has “grown persistently over time.”
“Disappointingly, the U.S. retained its historic vote of ‘no,’” she mentioned in an e-mail to Catholic Information Service.
“We have now work to do in the USA,” she mentioned, concerning the continued use of the demise penalty amid calls to finish capital punishment that replicate “a rising consensus — not simply amongst Catholics, however amongst all folks of goodwill — who acknowledge that capital punishment is irreparably damaged.”
Vaillancourt Murphy identified that the Vatican “has lengthy supported a U.N. demise penalty moratorium decision.”
She mentioned Pope Francis has persistently spoken about it and in September, he introduced the worldwide abolition of the demise penalty as his official prayer intention for the month.
Robert Dunham, govt director of the Loss of life Penalty Info Heart, informed Newsweek journal that the U.S. vote in opposition to the decision “put us in the identical league, with Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, China, North Korea and Vietnam.”
“As a rustic, we delight ourselves on a dedication to human rights and the dedication to the dignity of all people. To be aligned with the actions of a rustic that actively repudiates these values creates a major drawback,” he mentioned.
Though U.N. members will not be sure to comply with resolutions handed by the Normal Meeting, a U.S. vote in favor of this decision would have despatched a message, Dunham famous, stressing that it will have given President Joe Biden “an unparalleled alternative to make a press release in favor of human rights together with his vote.”
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