Cities for Life Day

The day was created in 2002 by the Sant'Egidio Community, an international Catholic lay association active in over 70 countries. The Sant'Egidio Community has been working to abolish the death penalty since its founding in 1968.

Cities for Life Day is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in the fight against the death penalty and to recommit ourselves to the work that still needs to be done. The day is observed by cities around the world that have abolished the death penalty, as well as by cities that are working to end capital punishment.

In 2018, there are more than 2,700 cities around the world that have abolished the death penalty.

This is a significant increase from 2002, when the day was first observed.

The number of countries that have abolished the death penalty has also increased, from 97 in 2002 to 106 in 2018.

The trend is clear: the world is moving towards a future without the death penalty.

On Cities for Life Day, let us continue to work together to make this future a reality.