Dear members of parliament, dear friends.

Welcome to the Storting! It is a great honour for me to welcome you in this particular room – the Eidsvoll Gallery. Here, we are surrounded by some of the founding fathers of the Norwegian Constitution in 1814.

This room was also the office of reichskommissar Josef Terboven, Adolf Hitler’s governor in occupied Norway during the second world war. Here, in the very heart of Norwegian democracy, terror and death penalties were called for during those years.

The history of this building started 150 years ago. At that time, executioner was still a profession. The last public execution in Norway actually happened 140 years ago. One of the last to be executed was Alexander Wallin – a Swede born in 1814. He was not a sympathetic individual – a vagabond. After killing the head of the correction centre he stayed at in Bergen, 5000 people – almost 20 % of the population in Bergen at the time – showed up and cheered for his beheading.

However, a public debate followed that led to the abolition of civil death penalty in 1902. And two years ago, the Storting passed an amendment to the Constitution, adding the paragraph, «All human beings have the right to life. No one shall be sentenced to death.»

Dear friends,

The death penalty is an irreversible form of punishment, which is both cruel and inhumane. It has no place in the 21st century.

We parliamentarians have to stay firm on this ground. Because let’s face it – the death penalty has popular consent in many countries. It appeals to one of our most basic instincts – revenge. I believe even in my own country many people wished for a death penalty when a terrorist executed 69 individuals in cold blood 5 years ago.

Fortunately, globally, public support for the death penalty is diminishing, and the number of states abolishing the death penalty is increasing steadily every year.

In stark contrast to this positive trend, some countries are increasing their use of the death penalty – also in cases of non-violent crimes that do not meet the threshold of ‘most serious crimes’ in line with international law – such as economic crimes, apostasy and drug-related offences or sexual relations between consenting adults.

In 2015, the world experienced the highest number of executions since 1989, according to Amnesty International. This is highly worrisome.

I believe that parliamentarians have a crucial role to play in the international battle against the death penalty.

As lawmakers, parliamentarians are the ones who in the end decide whether a country should abolish the death penalty or not.

The involvement of parliamentarians in public debates can also play a role in changing the public opinion.

But it is my belief that the role of parliamentarians in the battle against the death penalty reaches even farther.

In the end, a continuation of the abolitionist trend is contingent on stronger and more sustainable democracies.

Therefore, I am proud that Norway is hosting the 6th World Congress against the Death Penalty which gathers more than 1000 participants, from more than 80 different countries. I believe parliamentary dialogue is important – and not only during this congress – but especially with our colleagues who do not participate in this event. There is still a long way to go.

I wish you a successful congress. But first, a pleasant reception here in this historical room.

Thank you!