A/HRC/33/20 Contents Page I. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 3 II. Changes in law and practice ............................................................................................................. 3 A. Abolition of the death penalty, or initiatives taken for its abolition, including commitments provided to abolish it ......................................................................................... 3 B. Restrictions to the scope of the death penalty or limitations of its use .................................... 4 C. International and regional instruments contributing to the abolition of the death penalty ....... 4 D. Reintroduction of the use of the death penalty, extension of its scope or resumption of executions ............................................................................................................................ 5 III. Information on the use of the death penalty ..................................................................................... 6 IV. Safeguards guaranteeing the protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty ................... 7 A. Restriction of the use of the death penalty to “most serious crimes” ....................................... 7 B. Prohibition of the mandatory use of the death penalty ............................................................ 9 C. Fair trial guarantees ................................................................................................................. 10 D. Right to seek pardon or commutation ...................................................................................... 11 E. Prohibition of public executions .............................................................................................. 13 Use of the death penalty against children and persons with mental or intellectual disabilities ........ 14 A. Children ................................................................................................................................... 14 B. Persons with mental or intellectual disabilities ........................................................................ 16 VI. Human rights of children of parents sentenced to the death penalty or executed ............................. 16 VII. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................... 17 V. 2