criminal path.”17 The Special Representative emphasized the critical importance of urgent attention and action in this regard. A number of OSCE participating States, including Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, contributed to the plenary discussion. On 5 March 2014 in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council held a high-level panel discussion on the question of the death penalty to exchange views on advances, best practices and challenges relating to the abolition of the death penalty and to the introduction of a moratorium on executions. In his video message, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon expressed concern about the alarming number of cases of people being put to death in hasty circumstances that failed to adhere to international standards regarding due process. He called upon states to do their utmost to put a final stop to the death penalty, a practice that he considered unjust and incompatible with fundamental human rights.18 France, Mongolia and Slovenia were among the OSCE participating States that welcomed the convening and organization of this panel discussion. On 24 April 2014 in New York, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with the support of Chile and Italy, held a panel discussion on “Moving Away from the Death penalty – Discrimination against marginalized groups”. The discussion focused on the impact of the death penalty on marginalized and disadvantaged groups, such as minorities, persons with mental or intellectual disabilities, LGBT persons and foreign nationals.19 On 18 June 2014, during the 26th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) organized a side event on the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.20 The former UN Special Rapporteur for drafting the Second Optional Protocol, Marc Bossuyt, stated that ratification of the Protocol was the best way to abolish the death penalty, as it contained three obligations: not to apply 17  Ibid., paragraph 8, p. 5. 18  “Summary of the high-level panel discussion on the question of the death penalty”, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, A/HRC/27/26, 30 June 2014, p.3. 19  OHCHR Global Panel: “Moving Away from the Death Penalty – Discrimination against marginalized groups”, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 24 April 2014, <http://www.un.org/webcast/pdfs/140424amohchr.pdf>. 20  The side event was co-sponsored by Argentina, Belgium, France, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom, who are members of ICDP’s Support Group, as well as Moldova and the World Coalition against the Death Penalty. 9