Ninth World Congress Against the Death Penalty, held this time in Paris—we were there!
Our Congress Video in our YouTube Channel!
The 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty came to a close in Paris on Thursday evening. More than 1,300 participants from around 100 countries gathered for three days of debates to reflect on the global situation regarding the death penalty and ways to abolish it.
Political leaders, government officials, diplomats, and delegates from a wide range of nations were in attendance, as were academics, lawyers, anti-death penalty activists from numerous human rights organizations, former death row inmates, relatives of both perpetrators and victims, and others. In addition, there was a cultural program, including various exhibitions.
As in previous years, the congress was organized by the French group Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort (ECPM), in collaboration with the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP). The latter is an umbrella organization that connects over 200 anti-death penalty groups worldwide and was founded following the first World Congress 24 years ago.
The opening and closing ceremonies, in particular, were marked by the participation of high-ranking representatives from the international political arena who spoke out in favor of abolishing the death penalty.
Although this ultimate form of punishment has been completely abolished in Europe—with the exception of Belarus—the event was attended by, among others, the foreign minister of the host country, France, as well as representatives of the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations, as well as, for example, the Ministers of Justice from Lebanon and Morocco, were present to support the global fight against the death penalty.
Emmanuel Macron made it clear in a powerful 20-minute speech that even the President of France cares deeply about this issue; after his speech, he spent just as much time greeting numerous prominent guests in the seemingly endless front row of the large hall and exchanging a few words with everyone.
The German organization Initiative gegen die Todesstrafe e.V. (German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty) participated in the congress with several members and established new contacts or strengthened existing ones.
A special project of the organization this time was a postcard campaign: Congress participants had the opportunity to sign cards to be sent to California Governor Gavin Newsom, urging him to commute all death sentences in his state to life imprisonment before the end of his term. According to the association’s assessment, the chances are good, and the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has already contributed to success in 2024 with a similar campaign regarding Joe Biden and the death penalty at the federal level.
In addition, the association arranged for one of its various exhibitions—featuring many striking works of art by death row inmates—to be presented to the event organizer. Also on display was a selection of 50 posters created by young people from 17 countries as part of an international art competition on the theme of “Abolition of the Death Penalty.” —nearly 500 works had been submitted, including 138 from Germany and Austria, which were arranged by the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
At the closing ceremony of the congress, individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the abolition of the death penalty were honored with awards. Those within the abolition movement who had passed away since the last congress were also remembered, including Pope Francis and France’s former Minister of Justice, Robert Badinter.
Many have left their mark and remain unforgotten; they have played their part in ensuring that the death penalty has been steadily on the decline worldwide over the past decades. Even though last year’s rise in execution numbers—both globally and in the U.S.—might suggest otherwise, this increase is almost exclusively attributable to Iran globally and to Florida in the U.S.
The announcement that Chad, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, and Sierra Leone have ratified the UN treaty banning the death penalty—the final safeguard preventing a potential reversal that could lead to the reinstatement of the death penalty in these countries —and the fact that the Lebanese Minister of Justice declared his government’s determination to abolish the death penalty—demonstrate the unbroken global trend toward the decline of this ultimate form of punishment. Morocco also intends to continue following this trend and is willing to host the upcoming World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Marrakesh in 2029.
Gabi Uhl
German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Further information:
https://www.ecpm.org/en/2026/07/02/in-paris-the-9th-world-congress-against-the-death-penalty-marks-further-progress-towards-abolition/
Text and photos: © German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty