The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area–Background Paper 2018 21st century”.115 He stated that the lack of transparency and secrecy surrounding executions in some retentionist states “shows a lack of respect for the human rights of those sentenced to death and to their families” and added that “full and accurate data is vital to policy-makers, civil society and the general public. It is fundamental to the debate around the death penalty and its impact.”116 Discussions focused on three aspects of transparency. Panelists pointed out that some governments refuse to disclose data, seek to hide who is on death row and classify information on the death penalty as a state secret, making its release an act of treason. Participants also highlighted the lack of transparency for the families of those on death row, who sometimes do not know the whereabouts and the conditions of incarceration of their loved ones.117 On 19 December 2017, the UN General Assembly, during its 72nd session in New York, adopted resolution 72/163 on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.118 The UN General Assembly condemned all forms of torture and other ill-treatment, recognizing that states must protect the rights of those facing criminal sentences, including the death penalty and life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and of other affected people in accordance with their international obligations. On the regional level: All 47 Council of Europe member states are also OSCE participating States.119 In addition, the OSCE participating States of Canada, the Holy See and the United States are Council of Europe observer states. Seven OSCE participating States have no formal involvement with the Council of Europe. Since 2001, the Ministers’ Deputies have held regular exchanges of views on the abolition of the death penalty in all member States. On 5 April 2017 at the 1283rd meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies, views were exchanged on the abolition of the death penalty, on the basis of the Secretary General’s document “Policy of the Council of Europe in relation to the Death Penalty and Challenges 115  António Guterres, “Remarks at Panel on ‘Transparency and the death penalty’”, United Nations, 10 October 2017, <https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2017-10-10/sgs-transparency-and-death-penalty-remarks>. 116  Ibid. 117  For more information on the panel discussion see: “Death penalty and transparency – what’s to hide?”, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, <https://www.ohchr.org/en/newsevents/pages/deathpenaltyandtransparency.aspx>. 118  “Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2017: Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”, United Nations General Assembly, 19 January 2018, <http://www.un.org/ en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/72/163>. 119  “Our member States”, the Council of Europe in brief, <https://www.coe.int/en/web/about-us/our-memberstates>. 26