UNITED NATIONS -- A UN committee on Thursday called for the second year running for a moratorium on the death penalty around the world, a spokesman said.

The resolution was adopted by the UN human rights committee by 104 votes in favor and 48 against, with 31 abstentions, said UN general assembly spokesman Enrique Yeves.

It will now come before the plenary session of the UN of all 192 member states, where it is expected to be passed without any obstacles.

Thursday's resolution reaffirmed that the call for a global moratorium on executions first adopted in November 2007 was still valid.

The 2007 resolution, put forward by Italy and co-sponsored by 87 states, called for the total abolition of the death penalty. In a stormy session, it was finally adopted by 99 votes in favor and 52 against, with 33 abstentions.

It was then adopted in December by a plenary session of the UN general assembly.

Last year's text called on all states which still maintain the death penalty "to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty."

It also urged them "to restrict its use and reduce the number of offenses for which the death penalty may be imposed" and to respect international standards that provide safeguards guaranteeing the protection of those facing execution.

But UN resolutions are not mandatory and many opponents refused to implement it, invoking their national sovereignty.

According to Amnesty International, a total of 133 countries had abolished the death penalty in 2007 compared with 64 countries and territories where it was still in force, although not all of them put it into practice.