The International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) was founded in Madrid in October 2010,[1][2] as a result of a Spanish initiative.[3] ICDP is an independent body composed of Commissioners of high standing who have experience in international law and human rights, and are committed to achieving the universal abolition of capital punishment. Their experience, background, geographical representation and personal involvement in abolishing the death penalty enables them to engage with senior officials from different countries.
The Commission is supported by a diverse group of countries representing all regions of the world. They are united in opposing capital punishment in all circumstances, and urge for the immediate establishment of a universal moratorium[3] on executions as a step towards total abolition of the death penalty.
The work of ICDP is varied: letters and statements[8] about specific cases are issued urging states not to carry out executions and condemning executions carried out.[9][10] ICDP organizes and attends meetings and events to promote the abolition of the death penalty.[8][11]
ICDP conducts country missions (California and Delaware in the US, Japan, Suriname, Tajikistan, Tunisia and Lebanon, among others) and engage dialogue with different stakeholders[11][12] working on the abolition, such as NGOs, government representatives, and members of parliament. For example, Commissioner Ruth Dreifuss visited Tajikistan in 2011 and 2013 "to advocate for full abolition of the death penalty in the national law".[13][14] Several reports and opinion pieces have been published by ICDP, including a report on how States abolish the death penalty "which reviews the processes towards abolition of capital punishment" in a wide range of countries.[15]