Kenya has joined 132 other countries in calling for a temporary halt to the death penalty worldwide, following a United Nations vote supporting a move to suspend executions as countries consider whether to abolish it later on.
The vote took place on Friday, November 13, during a session of the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, with 133 countries supporting the resolution, 33 voting against it and 16 abstaining.
The resolution was sponsored by Switzerland and Mexico, which called on countries that still impose the death penalty to suspend executions while considering the possibility of abolishing the practice.
Switzerland's Foreign Affairs Department welcomed the outcome, saying the vote sent a strong message at a time when executions were increasing across the world.
"At a time of rising executions, this sends a powerful message of hope and strengthens protections for those on death row, including women and older people, while reinforcing the importance of fair trials," the department said.
Some of the powerful countries that supported the resolution alongside Kenya included the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Switzerland.
However, the proposal faced opposition from 33 countries, including the United States, China, India, Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Singapore, Kuwait, Yemen and Bahrain.
