Thank you to our colleagues from the delegations of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland for raising their concerns.
The State of Missouri executed Roderick Nunley on September 1, for the kidnap, rape, and murder of 15 year-old Ann Harrison in 1989. Nunley’s co-conspirator, Michael Taylor, was executed for the same crime last year.
The United States recognizes the debate on the death penalty both within and among nations.
We respect the concerns of our friends around this table. We remind colleagues that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the United States is a party, provides for imposition of the death penalty for the most serious crimes when carried out pursuant to a final judgment rendered by a competent court, and accompanied by appropriate procedural safeguards and the observance of due process. This includes the right to seek pardon or commutation of sentence in all cases.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B. Baer to the Permanent Council, Vienna
