On 16-18, Ruth Dreifuss, Member of the ICDP and former President of Switzerland, undertook a country mission to Tajikistan in order to participate in the International Conference “Central Asia without Death Penalty” as well as to meet several key actors of the abolitionist process. Ms Dreifuss was accompanied by Christian Durisch, Coordinator/Advisor of the Secretariat of the ICDP.

The International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) visited Japan from 30 May to 2 June 2012 for meetings on the death penalty and to participate in a symposium on What Makes Criminal Justice Sustainable? The Symposium was organized by the Norwegian Embassy and Aoyama Gakuin University. (Photos by V.J.Luna, EU, 2012)

During the week of 23 April, the International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) visited the USA, to lend its support to those campaigning for abolition of the death penalty in California.

ICDP Commissioner and former President of the Swiss Confederation, Ruth Dreifuss, undertook a mission to Tajikistan to learn about developments leading to abolition of the death penalty in Tajikistan. During the mission she met with President Emomali Rahmon and with senior state officials including the Minister of Justice, Chairman of the Constitutional Court, the General Prosecutor, the Ombudsman the chairpersons of the Upper and Lower Houses of the Parliament and members of the Working Group on the Death Penalty. There were also meetings with representatives of the United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and leaders from civil society.

The International Commission against the Death Penalty participated in mission to Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica organised by the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on the Abolition of the Death Penalty. Madame Ruth Dreifuss and Baroness Scotland visited the three countries for discussions about the death penalty. During the mission they met with state officials including government ministers, law officers, Members of Parliament and senior judges as well as members of the diplomatic community. There were also a number of media interviews and public events on the death penalty.

The President of the International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP and Commission) Mr Federico Mayor, ICDP Commissioner and former Lebanese Minister of Justice Mr Ibrahim Najjar and ICDP Commissioner and former judge at the European Court of Human Rights Ms Hanne Sophie Greve were part of a delegation that discussed issues related to the abolition of the death penalty in Lebanon with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, parliamentarians, lawyers and important members of the civil society between 8-10 June 2014.

On 27 March Commissioner Bill Richardson visited the US State of Delaware to lend his and ICDP’s support to the efforts to repeal the death penalty in Delaware. He was accompanied by the ICDP Secretary- General Asunta Vivo Cavaller

Commissioner Ruth Dreifuss and British Member of Parliament, Greg Mulholland are visiting Suriname on the 12th and 13th of February to discuss issues related to the abolition of death penalty with the Surinamese government.

The European Union, in cooperation with the British High Commission and the International Commission against the Death Penalty,organized a Caribbean regional conference consisting of keynote speeches and a number of panel discussion on aspects of abolition of the death penalty.

The Secretary General of the International Commission against the Death Penalty, Ms Asunta Vivo Cavaller, participated in an international conference titled “Death Penalty: Transcending the Divide” on 10 March 2016

On 20-21 August, Commissioner Greve accompanied by Executive Director Asunta Vivo participated in a conference titled “Death Penalty Reform: International Perspective and Chinese Practice” in Beijing, China. The conference was organized by the College for Criminal Law Science, Beijing Normal University.

A high-level delegation headed by Ms Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and current Commissioner of the International Commission against the Death Penalty, Mr Ivan Šimonović, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, and Professor Marc Bossuyt, Emeritus President of the Constitutional Court of Belgium visited Guyana between 19 and 21 July 2016 to discuss issues related to the death penalty in the country. For further information, please find attached the press release.

Commissioner Horacio Verbitsky represented ICDP in Guatemala at the “Forum against the Death Penalty” organized by the Congress of Guatemala that took place on 24 May. The Forum was an initiative of the President of the Congress Mario Taracena. The Forum was also sponsored by the OHCHR and the Archbishop of Guatemala, among others.

ICDP was invited to attend a Regional Consultative campaign meeting on the abolishment of Death penalty in ASEAN which to place on 22-23 April in jakarta, Indonesia. The conference was organized by the NGO Indonesia Coalition on the Abolition of the Death Penalty ( ICA DP) with support from the PARTICIP.

The Secretary General of the International Commission against the Death Penalty, Ms Asunta Vivo Cavaller, participated in an international conference titled “Death Penalty: Transcending the Divide” on 10 March 2016

From 21 to 26 February 2016, the Secretary General of the International Commission against the Death Penalty, Ms. Asunta Vivó Cavaller, visited Guatemala at the invitation of the Office of Human Rights of the Archdioceses of Guatemala (ODHAG).

A delegation of the International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) led by its President Judge Navi Pillay visited Seoul, Republic of Korea (South Korea or RoK) between 19 and 21 November. The delegates included the former President of the International Criminal Court and eminent professor Judge Song Sang-Hyun, ICDP Executive Director Asunta Vivo and ICDP Director of Policy Rajiv Narayan.

ICDP Commissioner Michèle Duvivier participated in a mission to Kingston (Jamaica) on 5 and 6 April 2017 together with Mark Pritchard, UK Member of Parliament who represented the All Party Parliamentary Group against the Death Penalty.

The delegates ICDP Commissioner Bossuyt and Lord Purvis from the UK All Party Parliamentary Group visited Uganda on 20-21 April. They met with the Attorney General of Uganda, Hon. William Byaruhanga. They met with Dr Johnson Byabashaija, the Commissioner General of Prisons, and visited the Luzire Prison.

A delegation of the ICDP consisting of former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights and ICDP Vice President Navi Pillay, former President of Switzerland and ICDP Vice President Ruth Dreifuss, former Prime Minister of Haiti ICDP Commissioner Michele Duvivier and former Governor of US state of New Mexico and ICDP Commissioner Bill Richardson visited New York between 14 and 16 May 2017.

On 3 and 4 May, ICDP Executive Director was invited to Belarus to attend a meeting at the House of Representatives at the initiative of Mr. Naumovich, President of the Working Group on abolition of the Death Penalty, along with a delegate from the Death Penalty Project. The meeting was attended by over 40 Parliamentarians. There were also interviews with media.

On 17 December 2018, a delegation representing the International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) had a private audience with His Holiness, the Pope Francis at the Vatican.

The International Commission against the Death Penalty, the human rights NGO Reprieve and the Ministry of Justice in Zambia cooperated in organizing an important dialogue initiative

An ICDP delegation visited Geneva on 24 and 25 June 2024. The delegation was led by ICDP President Judge Navi Pillay, ICDP Vice President Ruth Dreifuss, ICDP Commissioners Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Marc Bossuyt, Marta Santos Pais and the ICDP Secretariat.

The International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP or Commission) welcomes the thematic discussion on the abolition of the death penalty held by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe