U.N. Commission on Human Rights Decides to Complete Draft Covenant at This Session

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights today adopted a Lebanese resolution providing for the body to complete a draft government on Human Rights during its present session. The resolution was adopted by a vote of nine to zero, with the U.S.S.R., the Ukraine and China abstaining.

In addition to the schedule on the draft Covenant, the proposal called for: he Secretary-General to transmit the draft Covenant and draft measures of implementation to member governments for their comments, fixing January 1, 1950, as the final date by which all comments and further proposals should be received by the Secretariat, and to circulate to the members of the Commission the replies of member governments as soon as they are received; the revision at its next session of the draft Government and draft measures of implementation in the light of such replies as will be received; and, the presentation of these revised drafts to the Economic and Social Council in time to enable the Council to submit them to the General Assembly at its 1950 session.

The Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations, composed of B’nai B’rith, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, yesterday proposed to the Commission that:

1. A survey be made by each member nation of “the present observance and protection of human rights within its territories” and such measures to be taken as are practicable to narrow the gap between existing practices and the standard established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

2.The Secretary General and the Commission be kept fully informed of the activities of these “watchdog” commissions, and be authorized to make “independent studies of their own”;

3. Establishment of a procedure by which the Secretary General and the Commission be enabled to examine the many communications now being received by the U.N. concerning human rights.

In a statement on the Board’s memorandum, Frank Goldman, president of B’nai B’rith, pointed out that it would probably take “at least half a dozen years” before the Human Rights Covenant now being drafted by the Commission would become effective. Is added: “Our purpose in presenting this is to get the United Nations to act now to protect human rights without waiting until the complicated legal processes of adopting the Covenant are completed. Human rights must be safeguarded in the meantime.”