The United States delegation to the United Nations has at this time no clear position on the two draft covenants on human rights that have been pending in the General Assembly since 1954, according to Mrs. Marietta Tree, the U. S. representative chiefly concerned with human rights issues here.
Mrs. Tree made that statement here today after Adlai E. Stevenson, chairman of the U. S. delegation, confessed during a general press conference that he was not certain as to how to reply to a question on human rights.
He was asked whether the United States would use its influence and prestige to obtain final action on the draft covenants next year. At this year’s Assembly, the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee had voted all of the substantive articles in the two draft covenants on human rights except for determination on how the covenants would be implemented. The Committee decided to postpone discussion of implementation of the covenants until next year.
The impression here has been that implementation of the covenants would be decided upon by the 1954 General Assembly, but Mrs. Tree, who was asked today by Mr. Stevenson to reply to the question, stated: “Implementation will take several years. Our position on that matter is, therefore, as yet not clear.”
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