A number of non-governmental organizations, including representatives of three world religions, veterans and citizens of many lands have joined in sponsoring a draft resolution for presentation to a conference of non-governmental organizations on eradication of prejudice and discrimination. The parley, called by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, opens here tomorrow. Ninety-two organizations, including a number of Jewish groups, will be represented at the conference.
The World Jewish Congress delegation is headed by Dr. Nahum Goldmann. Philip Klutznick, president of B’nai B’rith, heads the delegation of the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations, consisting of the B’nai B’rith, Board of Deputies of British Jews and South African Board of Deputies. Prof. Andre Mayer of France is leading a delegation from the Consultative Council of Jewish Organizations, consisting of the American Jewish Committee, Anglo-Jewish Association and Alliance Israelite Universelle.
The joint resolution, which points out that in many countries prejudices and discriminatory practices still continue and have even been reinforced by legislative and administrative measures, has been drafted by the World Federation of United Nations Associations; the Protestant Church Commission on International Affairs; Pax Romana, international Catholic Organization; World Jewish Congress, and World Federation of Veterans.
The resolution calls on the conference of non-governmental organizations to adopt a declaration in which all non-governmental organizations with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council would reaffirm their “unswerving adherence to the principle of non-discrimination as laid down in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.” The same groups would also “condemn all discriminatory practices, whatever form they may assume and in whatever country they may occur.”
In the declaration proposed by the five world groups all 92 organizations at the conference would pledge themselves to increased efforts for the common acceptance of the concept “that no person shall be denied human rights or fundamental freedoms, or be held in less regard or treated with less justice solely on the basis of grounds such as race, sex, language or religion.”
To this end, the conference will be asked to recommend that efforts should be concentrated on the establishment within nations of a system of national laws prohibiting discrimination and providing procedures for redress in case of violations of human rights. The resolution calls for increased systematic use of education and mass media of communication for the promotion of respect for human rights.
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