A/HRC/27/26 Contents Page I. Introduction............................................................................................................. 1–3 3 II. Video message of the Secretary General of the United Nations ............................. 4–6 3 III. Opening statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 7–9 4 IV. Contributions of the panellists ................................................................................ 10–20 5 V. Summary of the interactive discussion.................................................................... 21–53 8 A. General remarks on the use of the death penalty ............................................ 24–28 8 B. Implementation of international human rights standards and safeguards....... 29–33 9 C. Abolition processes: national experiences and lessons learned ...................... 34–41 11 D. Importance of public debate, awareness and exchange of information .......... 42–46 12 E. Regional, multilateral and intergovernmental efforts to advance the abolition of the death penalty.................................................................... 47–52 13 Ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights........................................................................... 53 14 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 54–57 14 F. VI. 2 Paragraphs