United Nations: India has voted against a draft UN General Assembly resolution calling on nations to establish a moratorium on the death penalty.
The UN General Assembly's Third Committee approved the draft resolution on Friday by a recorded vote of 133 in favour, 33 against and 16 abstentions. Introduced by Mexico, it was titled ‘Moratorium on the use of the death penalty’.
India, along with Bahrain, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the US, voted against the resolution.
The resolution expressed deep concern about the continued application of the death penalty and reaffirmed the right of all countries to develop their own legal systems, including determining appropriate legal penalties in accordance with international law.
It called upon all states to establish a moratorium on executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty. It also called upon states which have abolished the death penalty not to reintroduce it.
The resolution expressed deep concern that, despite the global trend towards limiting the application of the death penalty, there was a significant surge in reported executions in 2025.
It also called upon states to progressively restrict the use of the death penalty and not to impose capital punishment for offences committed by persons below 18 years of age or where the person's age at the time of the offence cannot be accurately determined.
The draft further called for restricting the use of the death penalty for pregnant women, people with mental or intellectual disabilities and older persons. It also urged states to reduce the number of offences punishable by death, including by removing the mandatory application of capital punishment.