Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, United Nations Affairs, Volume III

Sandifer files, lot 55 D 429, “Human Rights—General—1947–1956”

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Officer in Charge of United Nations Cultural and Human Rights Affairs (Cates)

Washington, February 8, 1952.

• Subject:
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Mr. Dulles called to inquire what action the United States had taken with respect to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His interest grew from the fact that, in connection with the approval of the Japanese Peace Treaty,² objections had been raised in Congress to the inclusion in the Preamble of a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.³ Mr. Dulles wanted to be sure that the United States was not committed to any action under the Declaration—that we had never “signed” anything.

He also desired information on just where we stood with regard to the Draft International Covenant on Human Rights.⁴

In outlining briefly the situation with regard to the Universal Declaration and the Draft Covenant, I explained that in our references to the Declaration we always took pains to point out that it was drawn up as “a common standard of achievement” to be, in the words of former Secretary Marshall, “a standard of conduct for all” but not a binding obligation.⁵

2. For documentation on the ratification of the Japanese Peace Treaty, see volume xiv.
3. For documentation on the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly at Paris on Dec. 10, 1948, see Foreign Relations, 1948, vol. i, Part 1, pp. 289 ff. For text of the Universal Declaration and accompanying instruments, see United Nations, Official Records of the General Assembly, Third Session, Part I, Plenary Meetings, Resolutions, pp. 71 ff. (Resolution 217 (III)).
4. For a detailed exposition of the U.S. position on the Draft International Covenant on Human Rights, prepared for the instruction of the U.S. Delegation to the Sixth Regular Session of the General Assembly, Nov. 6, 1951–Feb. 5, 1952, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. ii, pp. 735 ff.
5. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the U.S. Delegate in the Third Committee (she was also chairman), made an explicit statement as to the U.S. position to the plenary meeting of the General Assembly on Dec. 9, 1948; see Foreign Relations, 1948, vol. i, Part 1, footnote 3, p. 304.