The Origin of Human Rights

Human rights, the subject of the Declaration, should be first required to trace its essence and origin, which would lay the foundation to further specific rights. To that end, the delegates devoted depleting efforts into the drafting and amending of Article 1.

Primitively, Mr. Cassin (France) proposed to incorporate two or three fundamental principles in the outline

Mr. Cassin

These fundamental principles should be incorporated in the outline:

“the unity of the human race or family”
“the idea that every human being has a right to be treated like every other human being”
“the concept of solidarity and fraternity among men”

United Nations, E/CN.4/AC.1/SR.2/p. 2, 1947

The Brazilian delegation proposed to amend the second sentence of Article 1

The Brazilian delegation

United Nations, A/C.3/215, 1948

On the contrary, Count Carton de Wiart (Belgium) believed it was advisable to delete the words “by nature” in Article 1

Count Carton de Wiart

I believed it was advisable to delete the words "by nature" in Article 1, which might be ambiguous and lead to long, philosophical arguments, since people could hold various understandings of "nature". Certain proposed amendments to them, such as the Brazilian one, were of a particularly delicate character.

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.96/p. 96, 1948

Count Carton de Wiart

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.96/p. 97, 1948

Mr. Chang (China) supported the deletion suggested by the Belgian representative

Mr. Chang

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.96/p. 98, 1948

Mr. Chang

Even if the words "by nature" were deleted, those who believed in God could still find in the strong opening assertion of the article the idea of God, and at the same time others with different concepts would be able to accept the text.

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.98/p. 114, 1948

The Belgian amendment and Mr. Chang's opinions were explicitly approved by many representatives

Mr. Jiménez de Aréchaga

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.96/p. 101, 1948

Mr. Pavlov

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.98/p. 111, 1948

Mr. Grumbach

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.99/p. 117, 1948

The Brazilian delegation eventually withdrew their amendment

The Brazilian delegation

In view of the difficulties that had arisen, we will withdraw our amendment to article 1, reserving the right to raise the matter again.

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.99/p. 117, 1948

3 representatives who shared similar opinions......

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.99/p. 117, 1948

Mr. Malik

Vote: @Count Carton de Wiart Belgian proposal to delete the words "by nature" in the second sentence of Article 1:

(9 abstentions)

ADOPTED

United Nations, A/C.3/SR.99/p. 125, 1948

After debates on wordings in the committee, Article 1 of the Declaration was finally determined as:

"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."

Background

The Gender Equality