The Fourth World Congress of Education International, meeting in Porto Alegre (Brazil) from 22 to 26 July 2004:
1. Repeats its attachment to the defence and promotion of human rights all over the world.
2. Notices about death penalty that: a. it violates the most fundamental right: the right to live;
b. it is in itself, a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment;
c. its application is irreparable as no judiciary system should exclude the risk of condemning innocent people;
d. its application is often discriminatory;
e. this punishment represents more the triumph of revenge than of justice.
3. Notes that on the international level: a. The number of abolitionist countries is increasing regularly, all the countries belonging to the European Union have abolished this punishment;
b. The respect of the right to live is stated in article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in article 6 of the International Agreement about civil and political rights and in article 6 and article 37a of the Convention about the rights of children;
c. A resolution from the Commission of Human Rights of the United Nations in 2001 asks countries which implement death penalty to reduce the number of crimes leading to this punishment and to establish a moratorium on executions;
d. The International Law Court for ex-Yugoslavia, as well as for Rwanda, and the International Court Of Justice exclude Death Penalty whereas they have to judge the most horrible crimes, war crimes, genocides, crimes against mankind.
The Fourth World Congress of Education International:
4. Comes down in favour of the universal abolition of death penalty.
5. Supports the fight carried out by abolitionists all over the World.
6. Urges its member organisations to participate in the initiatives and actions in order to obtain this abolition especially on October 10, Worldwide Day of Action Against Death Penalty.