2005 UN Commission on Human Rights: Oral statement on item 17: Promotion and protection of human rights

2005 UN Commission on Human Rights: Oral statement on item 17: Promotion and protection of human rights: "Governments have a special duty to protect the most vulnerable members of society. Despite the now universal acceptance that the death penalty shall not be imposed on offenders under age 18, child offenders were reportedly executed last year in China and Iran, and remain under sentence of death in several other countries. The Commission should insist that retentionist states take all necessary measures to ensure that child offenders are not executed. Amnesty International urges this Commission to confirm that the use of the death penalty against child offenders is contrary to customary international law."