4+cuba

Omar Pelcastre Committee 4 Topic: Capital Punishment Country: Cuba

__BACKGROUND OF THE TOPIC:__

Capital punishment has been a form of criminal “justice” for centuries in various types of cultures, civilizations, and societies for capital crimes or offences.

Capital Punishment, also known as death penalty or state execution differs among various societies. Generally, capital punishment is a consequence of murder. In China, crimes like human trafficking and corruption result in death. Apostasy, refusing to follow state religion, is another crime in other countries that result in capital punishment. Sexual offenses, military or government defiance also can lead to execution in other countries. There are many methods of execution. Some examples are burning, decapitation, electrocution, or nitrogen asphyxiation.

Today more than 130 countries have deserted the death penalty. Out of the few that remain, the United States, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and China represent the top executioners in the world. The death penalty impacts those who believe in human rights. It violates two most basic human rights, the right to live and no one should be submissive to torture.

__UNITED NATIONS INVOLVEMENT:__

In 1948, the first attempt to abolish or reduce the toll of capital punish was set out by the United Nations. The result was the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration wasn’t the only document adapted by multiple nations. The General Assembly takes on a second option in 1989. The second protocol they adapted was Convention of the Rights of the Child, which wasn’t active until 1991. Besides these two solutions, there have been more than fifty resolutions adopted into the United Nations’ Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the Commission on Human Rights.

One of many groups involved with human rights in capital punishment is Amnesty International. The violation of human rights in capital punishment accounts for their involvement with the death penalty.

__COUNTY POLICY AND INVOLVEMENT:__

Before April 28, 2008, Cuba carried out their executions with a firing squad. Capital punishment was used in Cuba for the most extreme cases of homicide, rape, sexual abuse of minors involving violence, robbery involving violence and intimidation, and corruption crimes. People under 20 and women that were pregnant were exempt from the penalty. Their newly elected president, Raul Castro, has converted all of Cuba's death penalties, with the exception of three cases, into 30 year imprisonment sentences. The conversion comes in favor to those that have been waiting for more that ten year for their execution. Before that, only three people have been executed. Cuba is one of the many countries that has abolished the death penalty.

__SOLUTIONS__

Cuba believes that nations should follow alternative methods of punishing their accused. One form would be converting criminal’s death sentences to life time imprisonments or elongated prison terms. The United Nations has contributed many progressions towards complete abolishment of capital punishment. But this is not enough; capital punishment is inhumane and must be eliminated worldwide. The remaining nations that do utilize capital punishment have not yet seen the wrong doings they have bestowed upon themselves. All individuals that await their execution are, no matter what ever they had committed, still human beings. Cuba strongly accepts that execution violates two of the most basic human rights. The death penalty provides obvious death but it also embeds mental torture. This brutal thought must be instilled in the minds of the executioners.

Cuba has already progressed into a nation with a non-execution belief. This issue is strongly based on human rights. Alike the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Cuba would like to call on internationally a document that thoroughly outlines penalties for capital crimes and offences titled Strategic Term Alternatives to Execution, S.T.A.T.E. . Cuba greatly believes that S.T.A.T.E. would provide a basis for those countries that are in need of rules to regulate punishments for crimes and give an example of a well organized set of alternatives to capital punishment to countries that are in use of the death penalty.

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