The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area considered confidential, in accordance with Mongolia’s Law on State Secrets and Law on the List of State Secrets.34 The last known execution took place in Mongolia in 2008.35 In September 2012, Mongolian President Elbegdorj, in a speech given at the United Nations General Assembly, stated that Mongolia is dedicated to abolishing the death penalty “once and for all” by legislative action in the near future.36 The President’s Policy and Action Plan for 2009-2013 sets as an objective the harmonization of Mongolia’s policy on the death penalty with the provisions of international human rights treaties to which the country is a party.37 According to the response of the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the OSCE, a legal reform to abolish the death penalty in national law will be considered by relevant authorities during the autumn of 2013.38 RUSSIAN FEDERATION No changes took place with regard to the death penalty status in Russia during the reporting period.39 A moratorium on executions has been in place since May 1996, when a commitment was made to abolish the death penalty upon Russia’s accession to the Council of Europe.40 In February 1999, the Constitutional Court of Russia issued a moratorium on death sentences.41 As the moratorium on the application of the death penalty was about to expire, in November 2009, a ruling of 34  The Law on the State Secrets of Mongolia, 18 April 1995, and the Law on the List of State Secrets, 2 January 2004. 35  Death Penalty in Mongolia, Death Penalty Worldwide, 28 March 2012, <http://www.deathpenaltyworldwide.org/ country-search-post.cfm?country=Mongolia#f3-1>. 36  “Statement by H.E. Tsakhia Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia, the Official Website of the President of Mongolia, 24 September 2012, <http://www.president.mn/eng/newsCenter/viewNews.php?newsId=807>; and “Statement by H.E. Mr. Tsakhia Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia, 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly”, the Official Website of the President of Mongolia, 27 September 2012, <http://www.president.mn/eng/newsCenter/viewNews. php?newsId=814>. 37  Policy and Action Program of the President of Mongolia for 2009-2013, the Official Website of the President of Mongolia, <http://www.president.mn/eng/president/action-program.php>. 38  Response to the ODIHR questionnaire on the death penalty from the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the OSCE, received on 6 September 2013. 39  Response to the ODIHR questionnaire on the death penalty from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the OSCE, received on 11 June 2013. 40  Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, “Honouring of the Commitment entered into by Russia upon accession to the Council of Europe to put into place a moratorium on executions of the death penalty”, 28 January 1997, <http:// assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/Xref ViewHTML.asp?FileID=7677&Language=EN>. 41  “КС России разберется со смертной казнью” [“The Constitutional Court of Russia will deal with the death penalty”], BBC News, 30 October 2009, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/russia/2009/10/091030_russia_death_penalty.shtml>. 15