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Collections
Fonds · 1919-

Conventions, Ratifications and other Diplomatic Instruments (League of Nations); Bulky Enclosures (League of Nations); Printed Documents (League of Nations); Brochures and Pamphlets (League of Nations); Daily Synopsis of Official Correspondence (League of Nations); Woodrow Wilson Collection (League of Nations); Museum (League of Nations); Visual Material (League of Nations and UNOG); Sound Archives (League of Nations and UNOG); Audiovisual Archives (League of Nations and UNOG); Microforms (League of Nations and UNOG).

Human Rights (1st Series)
SOA · Sub-Fonds · 1946-1957
Part of UNOG Registry First Period, 1946-1973

The sub-fonds consist of the records of the Division of Human Rights covering the period 1946 to 1957. The collection documents the wide ranging work of the Division not only in the drafting of the International Covenants on Human Rights with the Commission on Human Rights, but also in servicing the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, the Sub-Commission on Freedom of Information and the Ad Hoc Commission on Questions of Prisoners of War.

The collection includes voluminous correspondence with individuals, groups and governments regarding violations and complaints related to human rights. It was the task of the Division to respond to these communications and to compile a summary for the Commission on Human Rights and to governments concerned. The records document the Division's work on the repatriation of prisoners of World War II, in addition to addressing the plight of survivors, refugees and displaced persons. One especially interesting series of these records is the documentation concerning victims of Nazi so-called scientific experimentation, compiled in an effort to assist these individuals in receiving compensation from the German government.

UN NY Registry
SOA 317/1 · Series · 1946-1955
Part of UNOG Registry First Period, 1946-1973

The drafting of the covenants on human rights was undertaken in March 1947 by the Drafting Committee, a sub-organ of the Commission on Human Rights composed of eight members. Originally, the drafters intended to create one document covering all rights enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The initial discussions were based on a Secretariat outline prepared by the UN Division of Human Rights and on a British draft convention.

Very soon it became evident that it would be impossible to develop one system to implement both sets of rights - economic, social and cultural on one hand and political and civil on the other. These records cover this early period of drafting, where the interchange of correspondence between all concerned (the drafters, ECOSOC, the General Assembly, specialized agencies and some NGOs) shows the many divergent views.

The drafting process went on from the 1st through the 10th session of the Commission on Human Rights. In April 1954, the Commission transmitted to ECOSOC and thenceforth to the Third Committee of the General Assembly two draft covenants on human rights. It took the General Assembly 12 more years, until December 1966, to adopt the International Covenant on Economic and Social Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the Optional Protocol. All three instruments entered into force in 1976.

SO 221 · Series · 1956-1974
Part of UNOG Registry First Period, 1946-1973

The records contain working papers and comments and suggestions from governments, specialized agencies, non-governmental agencies and individuals on the drafting of the Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The file includes correspondence from groups and individuals with regard to the covenants.

With regard to implementation, from the outset different measures of implementation for the two Covenants were envisaged on the grounds that the nature of the rights and obligations laid down in each Covenant are distinct. The records contain a draft of the paper on implementation prepared by the Division and circulated to governments and specialized agencies for comments, which are included in the records.

SOA 317/1/01 A · File · 1950.05-1951.12
Part of UNOG Registry First Period, 1946-1973

The records relate to the re-drafting, in first reading, of the substantive provisions of the Draft Covenant on Human Rights by the Commission on Human Rights, including correspondence and comments on articles from the Division of Human Rights and the Department of Social Affairs.

Draft Convention on Genocide
SOA 318/1 · Sub-series · 1946-1950
Part of UNOG Registry First Period, 1946-1973

These records consist of correspondence and documentation produced and collected by the Division of Human Rights and the Ad Hoc Committee on Genocide in relation to the drafting of a convention on genocide, as requested by the General Assembly.

SO 221/9 (1) · File · 1956.12-1959.12
Part of UNOG Registry First Period, 1946-1973

The records include two memoranda addressing the work on the draft Covenants. The first, from 1956, deals with the allocation of time in the Third Committee to the draft Covenants, at the expense of other agenda items, notably self-determination. The second memo, from 1959, refers to a proposal to convene an Ad Hoc committee of the General Assembly for the draft Covenants.

SOA 317/1/01 B · File · 1952.01-1953.03
Part of UNOG Registry First Period, 1946-1973

These records provide an account of the work of the delegation of the Division of Human Rights to the General Assembly during the proceedings of the Third Committee on the Covenant. The file includes correspondence concerned with the writing of the letter sent to member states and interested specialized agencies regarding the drafting of the covenants on human rights. The records include a letter from the noted jurist and internationalist René Cassin to John Humphrey, Director of the Division of Human Rights. A member of the Commission on Human Rights from its creation in 1946, Mr. Cassin served as vice-chairman (to Mrs. Roosevelt's chairmanship) during this period. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968.