The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area–Background Paper 2021 moves, stating that “[u]nder no circumstances can the reintroduction of the death penalty ever be on the Council of Europe or European Union (EU) agenda again.”130 In 2009, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty presented its campaign for the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol during the 67th Session of the Human Rights Committee. Advocacy efforts began with a focus on Latvia and El Salvador: “We have chosen them because they are already abolitionist in law, they are parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and they have shown strong support for the abolition of capital punishment” in the UN General Assembly.131 At the OSCE 2010 Review Conference, following presentation of ODIHR’s 2010 background paper on the death penalty, participating States and NGOs encouraged the six countries that still retained the death penalty in their legislation, including Latvia, to proceed with full abolition.132 Latvia abolished the death penalty for all crimes on 1 January 2012 and ratified Protocol No. 13 to the ECHR on 5 January 2012 — as reported by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, “[a]fter two years of campaigning, hundreds of letters and about ten missions on the ground.”133 5. Concluding remarks The examples explored in the context of this background paper illustrate that a broad variety of actors are necessary to achieve abolition of the death penalty in law and in practice. The country examples demonstrate that first and foremost, political leadership is crucial on the road to abolition. Eventually, the removal of capital punishment from statute books is in the hands of political decision-makers. All other factors are influential in that they promote an atmosphere conducive for abolition. Individual political leaders can play a powerful role on the road to abolition. Indeed, in all countries examined, the announcement of a head of state to introduce a 130 ODIHR, The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area–Background Paper 2019, op. cit., note 5. 131 World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, UN Protocol campaign harnesses diplomatic power, 4 November 2009. 132 World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Statement: “Irreversible trend towards abolition”, OSCE, 12 October 2010; Statement on behalf of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, 5 October 2010; EU Statement – Session 5: Rule of Law II, 5 October 2010. 133 Aurelie Placais, Ratification of abolition treaties gathers pace in 2012, World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, 20 March 2012. 33