UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/8/11 27 May 2008 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Eighth session Agenda item 2 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND REPORTS OF THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER AND THE SECRETARY-GENERAL Question of the death penalty Report of the Secretary-General* Summary The Secretary-General submitted annual reports to the Commission on Human Rights on the question of the death penalty, the most recent being pursuant to Commission resolution 2005/59. Pursuant to Human Rights Council decision 2/102, the Secretary-General submits this report on the question of the death penalty to update his previous reports. The present report contains information covering the period from January 2006 to May 2008. 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 are completely abolitionist and by the increase in ratifications of international instruments that provide for the abolition of this form of punishment. * The present report is submitted late so as to include as much up-to-date information as possible. GE.08-13758 (E) 280508