Fact Sheet No.2 (Rev.1), The International Bill of Human Rights
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason
and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (art. 1),
adopted by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948.
Contents:
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Background
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
International Covenants on Human Rights
Worldwide influence of the International Bill of Human Rights
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Annex: The International Bill of Human Rights
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the
abolition of the death penalty
Background
The International Bill of Human Rights consists of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols.
Human rights had already found expression in the Covenant of the League of Nations, which led, inter alia,
to the creation of the International Labour Organisation. At the 1945 San Francisco Conference, held to draft
the Charter of the United Nations, a proposal to embody a "Declaration on the Essential Rights of Man" was
put forward but was not examined because it required more detailed consideration than was possible at the
time. The Charter clearly speaks of "promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for
fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion" (Art. 1, para. 3). The
idea of promulgating an "international bill of rights" was also considered by many as basically implicit in the
Charter.
The Preparatory Commission of the United Nations, which met immediately after the closing session of the
San Francisco Conference, recommended that the Economic and Social Council should, at its first session,
establish a commission for the promotion of human rights as envisaged in Article 68 of the Charter.
Accordingly, the Council established the Commission on Human Rights early in 1946.
At its first session, in 1946, the General Assembly considered a draft Declaration on Fundamental Human
Rights and Freedoms and transmitted it to the Economic and Social Council "for reference to the Commission
on Human Rights for consideration . . . in its preparation of an international bill of rights" (resolution 43 (I)).
The Commission, at its first session early in 1947, authorized its officers to formulate what it termed "a
preliminary draft International Bill of Human Rights". Later the work was taken over by a formal drafting
committee, consisting of members of the Commission from eight States, selected with due regard for
geographical distribution.
Towards the Universal Declaration
In the beginning, different views were expressed about the form the bill of rights should take. The Drafting
Committee decided to prepare two documents: one in the form of a declaration, which would set forth
general principles or standards of human rights; the other in the form of a convention, which would define