Drafting History
The drafting process broadly fell broadly into seven stages, as follows. The documents produced during those stages are listed in each phase. I First Session of the Human Rights Commission: January - February 1947 United Nations Secretariat: draft outline of the international Bill of Human Rights (E/CN.4/AC.1/3, Annex and Add.1) II First Session of the Drafting Committee: June 1947 Drafting Committee, first session E/CN.4/21, Annex F Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (first session) E/CN.4/52 (certain articles) III Second Session of the Human Rights Commission: December 1947 Commission on Human Rights (second session), Working Group on the Declaration (in session) E/CN.4/57 Commission on Human Rights (second session) E/600 Government comments E/CN.4/85 IV Second Session of the Drafting Committee: May 1948 Drafting Committee (second session) E/CN.4/95, Annex A (some articles) V The Third Session of the Human Rights Commission: May-June 1948 Commission on Human Rights (third session) E/800 ECOSOC (seventh session) A/625 VI The Third Committee of the General Assembly: September-December 1948 General Assembly, Third Committee A/777 Sub-Committee 4 of Third Committee A/C.3/400 and 400/Rev.1 VII Plenary Session of the Third General Assembly: December 10, 1948 General Assembly (third session), 183rd plenary meeting, last changes and voting on final text GAOR, Third Session The following is a discussion of what occurred during each phase of the drafting process. Peter Danchin, Columbia University |