U.N. Commission Seeks Completion of Work on Human Rights Pacts

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted last night a resolution stressing the importance it attaches to the draft covenants on human rights and to other conventions. The resolution, which called for earliest completion of work on the human rights covenants, listed eight major categories of its future activities. These are:

1. Covenants on human rights and other conventions; 2. Prevention of discrimination and protection of minorities; 3. International respect for the rights of peoples and nations to self-determination; 4. Consideration of general developments and action taken to insure wider observance of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world; 5. Consideration of specific rights or group rights; 6. Wider dissemination of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and an assessment of its effect and influence; 7. Publication of a yearbook on human rights and 8. Handling of communications in the field of human rights.

An explanatory note indicates the Commission’s desire not to limit itself to reviews of studies, but contemplates action in these fields through recommendations and other means. Such a course was advocated by the World Jewish Congress during discussion of the resolution.

Speaking for the WJC, Dr. G.M. Riegner had insisted that reports and studies were only valuable when they led to conclusions and action either by the formulation of recommendations to states or by incorporation of such ideas in conventions. Only by providing draft resolutions could the Commission live up to the hopes which the public has placed in it, Dr. Riegner declared. He also stressed the importance which the WJC attached to draft covenants and other international conventions and the use of legal techniques generally in promoting human rights.