Cambodia Moves to Permanently Block Death Penalty Revival Through UN Treaty Ratification

Cambodia has announced plans to ratify a key UN treaty that would permanently prohibit the reintroduction of the death penalty, reinforcing more than three decades of constitutional abolition. The announcement was made by Minister of Justice Koeut Rith during the Ninth World Congress Against the Death Penalty, held in Paris from June 30 to July 2. Rith reaffirmed the Royal Government’s commitment to ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), an international treaty aimed at the global abolition of capital punishment. The conference brought together about 700 participants, including senior representatives from 19 countries and international organisations. French President Emmanuel Macron also addressed the gathering. According to the justice minister, Cambodia’s ratification of the protocol would align with both the country’s Constitution and its long-standing practice of rejecting capital punishment since 1989. “Ratification of the Second Optional Protocol is a new step that is consistent with Cambodia’s Constitution and more than three decades of practice,” Rith said. “It also reflects Cambodia’s firm commitment on the international stage to abolishing the death penalty and promoting human rights, justice and the dignity of every individual,” he added. Cambodia is one of only two countries in Southeast Asia to have completely abolished the death penalty. The punishment was first abolished in 1989 under the Constitution of the State of Cambodia before being permanently enshrined in the 1993 Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The justice ministry said the constitutional prohibition reflects Cambodia’s recognition of the right to life and respect for human dignity, principles consistent with international law and shaped by the country’s own tragic history. Cambodia’s experience under the Khmer Rouge regime, during which millions of people lost their lives, has played a significant role in shaping the country’s opposition to capital punishment. The ministry noted that abolishing the death penalty has become a constitutional principle rather than merely a policy choice. Once Cambodia completes ratification of the protocol, the country will assume a binding international legal obligation not to restore capital punishment in the future. The ministry said the decision demonstrates Cambodia’s continued engagement with international human rights mechanisms while reinforcing its commitment to protecting the right to life. The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 2006 through the enactment of Republic Act No. 9346, making it, alongside Cambodia, one of only two Southeast Asian countries to completely outlaw capital punishment. The announcement comes as countries around the world continue to debate the future of capital punishment, with the Paris congress serving as one of the leading global forums advocating for its universal abolition. For Cambodia, the planned ratification signals that its rejection of the death penalty is intended to remain permanent, both under domestic constitutional law and international legal obligations.