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Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Drafting History

Drafting Committee - 2nd session

Drafting Committee on International Bill of Rights (Commission on Human Rights, EcoSoc Council)  The first meeting of the Drafting Committee. Dr. P.C. Chang, China, Vice-Chairman, greets Mrs. Eleanor D. Roosevelt, USA, Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights. (09 June 1947 United Nations, Lake Success, New York)

Drafting Committee on International Bill of Human Rights, 2nd session
3 May - 21 May 1948
New York

During its second session, the Drafting Committee considered comments from governments. Many delegations still hoped that there could be both a declaration and a covenant on human rights, and most of the discussion concerned the draft covenant. The Drafting Committee considered suggestions received from other bodies including:

(a) United Nations Conference on Freedom of Information, held March-April, 1948 in Geneva, E/Conf.6/79;

(b) Commission on the Status of Women, E/615;

(c) American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, as adopted by the Ninth International Conference of American States, Bogota, Colombia, March-May 1948.

The Drafting Committee report on its second session was submitted to the third session of the Commission on Human Rights, E/CN.4/95. Its Annex A contains a redraft of the Draft International Declaration of Human Rights and Annex B contains a re-draft of the Draft International Convenant on Human Rights. The Drafting Committee did not have sufficient time to study the question of implementation as they had been directed by E/RES/116(VI)F (E/CN.4/95).

Documents

Meeting Records

Reports and Actions