A/HRC/4/78 page 2 Summary In its decision 2/102, the Human Rights Council requested the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue with the fulfilment of their activities, in accordance with all previous decisions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and to update relevant reports and studies. In its last resolution on the death penalty (2005/59), the Commission on Human Rights had requested the Secretary-General to submit a yearly supplement to his quinquennial report on capital punishment. The present report contains information covering developments during 2006. The report indicates that the trend towards abolition of the death penalty continues. This is illustrated, inter alia, by the increase in the number of countries that have abolished the death penalty and by the increase in ratifications of international instruments that provide for the abolition of this form of punishment.