Capital Punishment and Human Rights: Recent Developments

In ratifying the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights and the Second Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Netherlands endorsed the view that the death penalty should be regarded as a human rights violation in all circumstances. Under current international public law, the death penalty should be regarded as a human rights violation in certain situations. In the AIV’s view Dutch policy should be geared towards gaining support for a universal ban on capital punishment.