DIPONEGORO MODEL UNITED NATIONS SOCIETY

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHT COUNCIL

POSITION PAPER – ITALIAN REPUBLIC

Capital Punishment and the Implementation of Safeguards Guaranteeing the Rights of

Those Facing the Death Penalty

Capital punishment or it's also known as death penalty, is a mechanism to punish a

person who breaks the law by killing them in several methods, such as hanging, lethal injection,
lethal gasses, etc. The aim of capital punishment is making public safety by punish people in
order to prevent similar action happened again. According to that, there are no evidence that
death penalty have greater deterrent effect than imprison. It shows on crimes on similar cases
not decrease even though people who’s responsible in this action already punished by the
capital punishment. Capital punishment is against human rights due to relation on torture. Commented [1]: PUT IT ON UR WORKING PAPER

Based on “Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment.” in 1984 mentioned that torture is any act by which severe pain or suffering
whether physical or mentally. The implementation of execution itself having relation on torture
because until now, there are was not enough evidence to guarantee death penalty can work in
human without suffering. Moreover, people on death row are more affected mental illness than
others type of punishment. According to that, we can conclude that capital punishment is denial
human right, in specific to article 5 on UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Right) which,
“no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

The Italian Republic believes that abolish capital punishment is the best method
regarding protect the human right. The use of capital punishment in Italy has been banned since
1889, with the exception of the period 1926-1947, regarding fascism in Italy and the early
restoration of democracy. Italy over the weekend continued its push to get United Nations to
impose a worldwide moratorium on capital punishment. Italy also pushed European Union for
UN General Assembly to vote on this capital punishment issue during a meeting of foreign
ministry on January, 11-12.

The Italian Republic supports the following proposals for abolishing capital punishment
:
 DIPONEGORO MODEL UNITED NATIONS SOCIETY

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHT COUNCIL

POSITION PAPER – ITALIAN REPUBLIC

1. Calls upon all member states, especially who have not abolish capital punishment
to join RECAP HUMAN RIGHT PROGRAMME which Reintroduction Capital
Punishment based on Human Right Agreement, Treaties, and Law Session.” as a
promotion media in order for making reform fundamental law, strengthening the
previous agreement, treaties, or law according to capital punishment, and ensuring
the states that there are another way to punish, except capital punishment.
2. Calls upon government, community leaders, education institution in the attempt to
encourage the societal learning process of capital punishment in order to raise
understanding in community level.

Regarding this purpose solution, this solution can not be implemented without the top
commitments on international effort on capital punishment. Furthermore, Italy as the
forefront of the fight against the death penalty will do so much effort to protect the
human right by influencing other states to support this action. Italy also believes there
are so many educational approach to make deterrent effect for every crime without
having capital punishment.