on 18 december 2007, the united nations general assembly voted 104 to 54 in favour of resolution a/res/62/149, which proclaims a global moratorium on the death penalty, with 29 abstentions (as well as 5 absent at the time of the vote). italy had proposed and sponsored this resolution. after the resolution's approval, italian foreign minister massimo d'alema declared: "now we must start working on the abolition of the death penalty".