THE LIBRARY CORNER

Welcome to ”The Library Corner”, a new UN Special section brought to you by the UNOG Library. ”The Library Corner” will provide you with information on library services and selections of books relevant to your work. It will be published every two months, alternating English and French. Each “Library Corner” will also be devoted to a special topic. This issue’s topic is the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948. The UNOG Library has selected major works on the history of the Declaration. All these publications are available in the Library. Should you wish to consult them, please contact us.

Background readings
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: origins, drafting, and intent.
JOHANNES MORSINK.
Philadelphia, Pa.: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999.
Call Number: 341.1 M886

This book is widely considered to be the first well-documented study of the drafting of the declaration. Morsink offers a behind-thescenes account of the Declaration’s origins and development. He reports on the detailed discussions that took place in the UN, explains the different stages of the long and tortuous drafting process, tells us why certain countries were in favour or could not accept some of the provisions of the Declaration. Mr. Morsink’s book, together with: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: a commentary/edited by Asbjorn Eide... [et al.].
(Oslo: Scandinavian University Press; New York: OUP, 1992) and Human rights as international consensus: the making of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1945-1948/Ashild Samnoy. (Bergen, Norway: Chr. Michelsen Institute, 1993) are indispensable readings for all those who want to study the legislative history of the UDHR.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: a common standard of achievement.
Edited by Gudmundur Alfredsson and Asbjørn Eide.
The Hague; Boston, Mass.: M. Nijhoff, 1999.
Call Number: 341.1 U58575

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has become the moral backbone of more than two hundred human rights instruments that are now a part of our world. This volume offers a comprehensive and systematic treatment of its rights and duties not only in the light of history and of the intentions of its drafters, but also exploring the standard-setting activities and monitoring efforts which have grown out of its existence. Each chapter is devoted to a different article of the Declaration and written by different authors, all active in human rights work, either academically or in the field.
A consolidated bibliography completes the volume. The subtitle, “A Common Standard of Achievement,” refers to a phrase drawn from the Preamble of the Declaration. A goal that has, to a considerable extent, come true.

Key personalities
A world made new: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
MARY ANN GLENDON.
New York: Random House, 2001.
Call Number: 341.1 G5584

When Eleanor Roosevelt was appointed to the key role of chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights that was entrusted with the drafting of the Declaration, she was in her sixties and had no international experience. Yet, her unique organizational and human skills, common sense and vision, ability to listen carefully and speak with inspiration soon established her reputation and won the respect of her colleagues. The book highlights her relations with the multi-cultural group that surrounded her, and that included remarkable, but very different personalities: René Cassin of France, Charles Malik of Lebanon, P.C. Chang of China, John Humphrey of Canada, among others. It gives a vivid account of their work and discussions.

René Cassin, Prix Nobel de la Paix, 1887-1976: Père de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme.
MARC AGI.
[S.l.]: Perrin, 1998.
Call Number: 944:92 C345A3

This book underlines the important role played by the French jurist René Cassin in the drafting of the declaration. On behalf of France, he presented a draft text that served as the basis for many articles of the final declaration. The author gives here an account of Cassin’s actions during the difficult political events of the twentieth century and how this experience crucially influenced his philosophical thought and turned him into a great defender of human rights.

Humanite: John Humphrey’s alternative account of human rights.
CLINTON TIMOTHY CURLE.
Toronto, Canada; Buffalo, N. Y.: University of Toronto Press, 2007.
Call Number: 341.1 C975

In this study, Curle underlines the crucial role played by John Humphrey, a Canadian scholar, director of the Human Rights Division, who was given the task of preparing the preliminary draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This draft was a synthesis of hundreds of proposals presented by governments, organizations and individuals. The author demonstrates that, contrary to common belief, Humphrey has been much more than a simple compiler.

The challenge of human rights: Charles Malik and the Universal Declaration.
Edited by Habib C. Malik.
Oxford: Charles Malik Foundation; Centre for Lebanese Studies, 2000.
Call Number: 341.1 M251

This book provides a record of Charles Malik’s work on the Universal Declaration. Based on Malik’s speeches, views on the Declaration and on verbatim records of the drafting committee, the author shows the diplomatic talent of the Lebanese philosophy teacher. In front of the General Assembly it was Malik who gave a brilliant and convincing speech that led to the successful vote approving the declaration.

An extensive bibliography on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is available in the “What’s New” section of our website (www.unog.ch/library).

Do you want to find additional material on... the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
Go to the UNOG Library Catalogue “1987-Today” (http://librarycat.unog.ch/)
Enter the expression: “universal declaration of human rights” – select “Subject” and click on “Search”
On the following page, click on number “[1]” and you will see the full list of results Then navigate from page to page to browse all titles. If you click on any of these titles, a detailed description will be displayed.

Did you know that...
... Cuba, Chile and Panama were the first countries to submit to the United Nations a draft of an international bill of rights, as early as the San Francisco Conference in 1945?

... you can find the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in more than 300 languages? Check the UN website at http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

... most original sources related to the long drafting process of the UDHR are kept in the UNOG Archives and are searchable
through their ScopeArchiv catalogue (http://biblio-archive.unog.ch)?

... the UNOG Library holds a Braille version of the French and English texts of the UDHR in its Recent Acquisitions collection (B.135, 1st floor)?

If you wish to see a topic (of course, libraryrelated) addressed in ”The Library Corner”, send an e-mail with your suggestion.

The United Nations Office at Geneva Library Palais des Nations – Building B, Door 20 – 1211 Geneva 10 – Monday to Friday – 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Tel: 74181
Mail: library@unog.ch
Web: www.unog.ch/library
Catalogues: http://librarycat.unog.ch/