The report is the sixth quinquennial report on capital punishment, covering the period 1994-1998. It is divided into seven sections: (1) Background and scope of the report; (2) Changes in the status of the death penalty, 1994-1998 (countries that had abolished the death penalty for all crimes by the beginning of 1994, countries that had abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes at the beginning of 1994, retentionist countries at the beginning of 1994, status of the death penalty in 1999); (3) Enforcement of the death penalty; (4) International developments; (5) Implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty (separate descriptions of 9 safeguards; the third safeguard includes procedures for persons under age 18, maximum age, pregnant women or new mothers, the insane and persons suffering from mental retardation or extremely limited mental competence); (6) Information and research; and (7) Concluding remarks. Notes, tables, appendixes