The United States is a retentionist country. However, 21 states and the District of Columbia have abolished the death penalty, including the state of New Hampshire in 2019. The country sentenced 45 individuals to death and carried out 25 executions in 8 states in 2018.

While the United States has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1992, it has yet to ratify its Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (ICCPR-OP2).

16 April 2019: Ms. Margareta Cederfelt, PGA President and MP (Sweden), and Hon. Kula Segaran, Convenor of PGA’s International Law and Human Rights Program and MP (Malaysia), sent a congratulations letter to members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives regarding its and the Senate’s historic vote to abolish the death penalty. This initiative was spearheaded by Mr. Renny Cushing, member of the House of Representatives and PGA member.

18 March 2019: Ms. Margareta Cederfelt, PGA President and MP (Sweden), and Hon. Kula Segaran, Convenor of PGA’s International Law and Human Rights Program and MP (Malaysia), sent a letter of support to Mr. Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, following his decision to enact a moratorium on the death penalty in the state. 

5 April 2017: Dip. Margarita Stolbizer (Argentina), President of PGA, denounced the use of the death penalty by the United States and called for the commutation of death sentences to life imprisonment.