19/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - EU welcomes vote for a resolution on capital punishment. On Thursday 18 December, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini welcomed the adoption on the same day of the resolution “moratorium on the use of the death penalty” by the United Nations General Assembly. She believed that this adoption was “a great and encouraging achievement for the abolitionist cause worldwide”. “The record number of 117 votes in favour clearly shows that consensus is growing within the international community”, she added. There were 38 countries that voted against and 34 that abstained. At the last vote on this issue, in December 2012, 111 countries voted in favour, 41 against and 34 had abstained. Mogherini stated that the EU, with all its partners - governmental and non-governmental - “will spare no efforts and will continue to strive for the abolition of this cruel form of punishment”. This is the fifth resolution for a moratorium on the death penalty adopted by the UN General Assembly since 2007. (CG)