Drafting History

1. Drafting History - Introduction
2. Overview of Process and Key Documents
3. Accounts of Drafting Process
4. First Session of the Human Rights Commission
5. First Session of the Drafting Committee
6. Second Session of the Human Rights Commission
7. Second Session of the Drafting Committee
8. Third Session of the Human Rights Committee
9. Third Committee of the General Assembly
10. Plenary Session of the Third General Assembly Session
11. Reference

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.