Cambodia Reaffirms Abolition of Death Penalty at International Conference in Paris

Cambodia Reaffirms Abolition of Death Penalty at International Conference in Paris

PHNOM PENH, July 6, 2026 – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice H.E. Keut Rith has led a Cambodian delegation to the 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris, reaffirming the Kingdom's longstanding commitment to the abolition of capital punishment.

The congress took place from June 30 to July 2, 2026, in Paris, France, with participation from approximately 700 delegates representing 19 countries and major international organizations. French President Emmanuel Macron also addressed the gathering.

Cambodia is one of only two countries in Southeast Asia that have abolished the death penalty. The Kingdom has maintained this position since 1989, as enshrined in the 1989 Constitution of the State of Cambodia and the 1993 Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The constitutional prohibition reflects Cambodia's commitment to the right to life and human dignity, in line with international law and the country's own historical experience under the genocidal regime, which claimed millions of lives.

At the forum, H.E. Keut Rith outlined the Royal Government's position in supporting and preparing procedures for the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aimed at abolishing the death penalty. This ratification would represent a new step consistent with Cambodia's Constitution and its practice of abolishing capital punishment for over three decades.

The ratification would also constitute Cambodia's firm commitment on the international stage to the elimination of the death penalty and the promotion of human rights, justice, and human dignity. Following ratification, Cambodia would have an international obligation not to reintroduce the death penalty in the future.

— Source: Ministry of Justice

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Reported by The Khmer Today