Topic:
Country: Brazil
Delegate Name: Andrew Dylenski
The death penalty is a practice that has been used for centuries across the world. Starting in the 18th century B.C., King Hammurabi introduced the death penalty in Babylon where he proposed its use for 25 different crimes. Countries across the world back its use saying that it will stop criminals from doing crimes in the future, and others say that the death penalty is a fair punishment for the level of the crime. As of 2023, 54 countries in the United Nations still use it in law and practice. In 2022, China and Iran had the highest numbers of executions. Opponents of the use of the death penalty believe it is unjust and goes against human rights.. Similarly, various regions internationally do not support capital punishment as it goes against the surrounding religion, such as Buddhism. On the other hand, various Christians believe it should be allowed as it is God’s justice for those who have done wrong to others. There have been countless cases of the death penalty that have gone wrong such as Allen Lee Davis suffered various burns across the body after the electric chair burst into flames before killing him. Various organizations such as Amnesty International have been working, protesting, and collecting funds for the abolition of the death penalty. Those who support the death penalty believe it is expensive to build these prisons and correctional facilities that will hold these criminals for life. The HRC must find a way to uphold human rights by either abolishing the death penalty or expanding restrictions and measures that uphold the natural rights of those being executed.
Declared in 1876, the death penalty has been banned in Brazil for 147 years for ordinary crimes. The practice can still be put to use only for military offenses such as genocide, war crimes, and treason. Also, in Brazil, life sentences have also been abolished with the maximum time being 40 years one can spend in jail. Along with the absence of life sentences, Brazilian prisons offer the prisoners medical care, social services, and legal aid. Brazilians believe the execution of humans is morally unjustified and not right. For the nearly 170,000 prisoners in the Brazilian prison system, they are spread around to the country’s penitentiaries, jails, and precinct lockups. However, for nearly all the demographics in the country, the exception of the death penalty is not something highly supported. With around 66% of the country supporting the use of the death penalty, it seems the country’s people are not on the same wavelength as the government. The country’s people believe that the death penalty can exercise deterrence, stopping any of the criminals from potentially doing the crime again. The Brazilian government and citizens must find a way, nationally and internationally, to encompass the people’s view on the death penalty while not violating human rights and morals.
The Federal Republic of Brazil requests that the United Nations and HRC work to eliminate the death penalty for all crimes other than war crimes. With the high prices of capital punishment, it is wise that HRC works with the United Nations Office for Project Services(UNOPS) to help build facilities and buildings to hold these criminals in these countries who will be just abolishing the practice. It is imperative that these countries use the funds that would be going to the penalty and redirect them to the creation of rehabilitation centers and correctional facilities that would hold these criminals for an extended period of time. For countries that are not gonna agree to the abolition of the death penalty for normal crimes, it is up to HRC to place restrictions on the practice that will only include very rare situations such as war crimes. It has to be a priority that human rights are being upheld to the utmost degree.
