U.N. Committee Completes Discussion on Human Rights; Soviet Delegate Dissatisfied

General discussion on the draft declaration on human rights was completed today “by the drafting committee of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights to be followed up tomorrow with a review of the draft covenant which is to be submitted, together with the declaration, for approval to the U.N. Economic and Social Council.

Soviet delegate A.P. Pavlov stated that his delegation considers the draft declaration in its present form as unsatisfactory. The document, he said, fails to satisfy three basic requirements considered essential by his delegation: first, adequate safeguards of human rights; second, guarantees of implementation; third, clear definition of the obligations of the individual to his state. Furthermore, he said, the document fails to condemn discrimination, or incitement to discrimination, for reasons of sex, race, nationality or religion.

Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, speaking for the U.S. delegation, said that the United States was anxious, as a starting point, to produce a short and concise document which would appeal more to the people. The declaration, she added, should contain a statement of the standards for which they are striving. But since the declaration carries no legal weight, the spelling out of the legal obligations, she declared, should be done in the covenant. The basic attitude to be taken in regard to the covenant is to agree on provisions having the widest acceptance, although not necessarily covering all rights, she argued.