Capital punishment remains one of the most controversial issues in international human rights. Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects the right to life but still permits countries that have not abolished the death penalty to use it under strict conditions and only for the “most serious crimes,” meaning crimes involving intentional killing. However, the Second Optional Protocol requires its members to abolish capital punishment completely. The debate therefore focuses on whether any use of the death penalty can be compatible with the right to life, fair-trial guarantees, human dignity, and protection from cruel or degrading punishment. Delegates must also consider wrongful convictions, discrimination, execution methods, victims’ rights, deterrence, national sovereignty, and the use of capital punishment for non-lethal offences. The committee’s goal is to determine whether the UNHRC should promote complete abolition, a global moratorium, stronger legal safeguards, or a combination of these measures.