Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the Gambia regarding the use of the death penalty.

Since President Barrow's Government came into power in early 2017 the UK has welcomed and supported the increased focus on respect for human rights, including the steps taken towards abolishing the death penalty. In September 2017 The Gambian Government signed the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. This has resulted in a moratorium on the death penalty in The Gambia.

It is the long-standing policy of the UK to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We consider its use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable. The UK plays a leading role in pressing for the reduced use of the death penalty overseas, through multilateral institutions including the UN, and through targeted bilateral interventions.