A/HRC/45/20 States of Colorado, 6 New Hampshire 7 and Washington 8 abolished the death penalty. California became the fourth state to apply a moratorium on executions. 9 7. Various domestic law processes towards abolition of the death penalty were initiated. In the Gambia10 and Liberia,11 States parties to the Second Optional Protocol, initiatives were undertaken to remove the death penalty from domestic legislation. The Congo, Guinea and Kazakhstan announced they would ratify the Second Optional Protocol. 12 In April 2019, Equatorial Guinea announced a draft law to abolish the death penalty. 13 Burkina Faso announced a referendum on a constitution, which includes a provision to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. 14 The Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs in Zimbabwe reportedly recommended abolition. 15 Zambia announced it was open to a consultative process towards abolition.16 In Ghana, the President announced willingness to consider abolition, at least for five of the six capital offences. 17 8. The Catholic Church asserted that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”, committing to working toward abolition worldwide.18 9. Some States reiterated their support for a moratorium, including Lebanon, in its submission, and Maldives.19 Further, States made numerous recommendations during the universal periodic review to retentionist States, including: to ratify or consider ratifying the Second Optional Protocol,20 to prohibit the execution of persons who committed crimes when they were minors, 21 to provide greater transparency about the use of the death penalty,22 to consider the establishment of a moratorium,23 to continue efforts towards or consider abolition, 24 to reduce the number of capital crimes 25 and to abolish the death penalty.26 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Colorado Senate Bill 20-100, 23 March 2020. New Hampshire House Bill 455, 30 May 2019. Supreme Court of Washington, Washington v. Gregory, Case No. 88086-7, Opinion, 11 October 2018. See www.gov.ca.gov/2019/03/13/governor-gavin-newsom-orders-a-halt-to-the-death-penalty-incalifornia/; www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24329&LangID=E. See www.amnesty.org/en/documents/act50/1847/2020/en/, p. 47, and A/HRC/WG.6/34/GMB/1, para. 8. See https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno= INT%2fCCPR%2fRLI%2fLBR%2f31718&Lang=en, para. 14. See http://webtv.un.org/search/kazakhstan-high-level-segment-1st-meeting-43rd-regular-sessionhuman-rights-council/6135361620001/?term=&lan=english&cat=Regular%2043rd%20session&sort= date&page=17; www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/actes-Bruxelles-2019.pdf, p. 29. See www.achpr.org/public/Document/file/English/Intersession%20Report64os_Comm%20Kayitesi%20DP_ENG.pdf, para. 11. See www.amnesty.org/en/documents/act50/9870/2019/en/, p. 42; www.ecpm.org/wpcontent/uploads/actes-Bruxelles-2019.pdf, p. 29. See www.amnesty.org/en/documents/act50/1847/2020/en/, p. 51. See www.hrc.org.zm/index.php/multi-media/speeches/file/274-speech-by-vice-presdient-of-zambiaon-2019-human-rights-day-commemoration. See https://cdn.penalreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Global-Prison-Trends-2020-PenalReform-International.pdf, p. 18. See www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2018/pope-revises-catechism-to-say-death-penaltyis-inadmissible.cfm. CAT/C/MDV/CO/1, para. 33. E.g., recommendations to Afghanistan (A/HRC/41/5), Nigeria (A/HRC/40/7), Saudi Arabia (A/HRC/40/4) and Vanuatu (A/HRC/41/10). E.g., recommendations to Iran (Islamic Republic of) (A/HRC/43/12), Nigeria (A/HRC/40/7) and Saudi Arabia (A/HRC/40/4). E.g., recommendations to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (A/HRC/42/10), Viet Nam (A/HRC/41/7) and Yemen (A/HRC/41/9). E.g., recommendations to Afghanistan (A/HRC/41/5). E.g., recommendations to Equatorial Guinea (A/HRC/42/13). E.g., recommendations to Iraq (A/HRC/43/14). E.g., recommendations to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (A/HRC/42/5); and to El Salvador and Kazakhstan for all crimes (A/HRC/43/5, para. 103.51; A/HRC/43/10, para. 139). 3