Establishment of Local Human Rights Committees Suggested to U.N. Members by Lie

Establishment of local human rights committees in the various member states of the United Nations was urged today by U.N. Secretary-General Trygve Lie in a letter sent to all members.

Lie pointed to a resolution adopted last Spring by the nuclear Commission on Human Rights, which suggested that the local committees could help the U.N. Commission on Human Rights to obtain information on how human rights were respected in the courts and legal systems of the various nations.

At that time, there was considerable difference of opinion among the representatives on the nuclear commission as to the desirability or necessity of such committees. The USSR delegate said that while he believed they were necessary in some countries, he did not feel that establishment of such committees should be made obligatory.