Opportunities for alliances and outreach

The United Nations 2008 Campaign “Justice and dignity for all of us”:
60^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

 www.KnowYourRights2008.org

 What is this UN Campaign? Why should we link the UDHR-60 and the Nakba-60 Campaign?

On 10 December 2007, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will launch a UN-wide and international campaign for promoting awareness and respect of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under the slogan “Justice and dignity for all of us”. The UDHR and UN Resolution 194 affirming Palestinian refugees' right of return are intimately related in their drafting history and timing, and Article 13 (2) of the UDHR enshrines the right of return (see below). By linking Nakba-60 with the UDHR-60 campaign, we appropriate the UDHR for Palestinian refugees and strengthen our demand for respect of Palestinian refugees' right of return as a universal right. In addition, we may gain additional outreach by using campaign tools and mechanisms prepared by for the UN campaign. The UDHR-60 campaign will be closed on 10 December 2008.

What is the relationship between Nakba-60 and UDHR-60?

10 December 1948: UDHR, Article 13 (2):

Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

11. December 1948: UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (III):

[The General Assembly] Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible;

In the fall of 1948 as the UN grappled with the Palestinian refugee crisis in the Middle East, others in the UN (the General Assembly’s Third Committee) found themselves waging an uphill battle to finalize what was to become the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris, trying to balance the ‘abstract discussion of human rights’⁽¹⁾ at the Palais de Chaillot with the urgency of ‘saving human lives’⁽²⁾ far away in Palestine.

The Saudi representative (Mr. Baroody) drew attention to the dire situation in Palestine and in the neighboring Arab states, pointing out that ‘It would be useless for the Committee to devote its time to the drafting of a declaration of human rights, while at the same time allowing thousands of human beings to perish’.⁽³⁾ The Committee agreed to suspend discussion of the draft declaration and decided to devote part of its time to the development of a humanitarian action plan.

According to Mary Ann Glendon’s account of the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, these discussions led to ‘significant changes’ in the text of the declaration itself.⁽⁴⁾ Wrapping up discussion on article 13 concerning the right to leave any country, including one’s own, the Third Committee approved by a vote of 33 to none (with 8 abstentions) a Lebanese motion to ‘strengthen’ that right by adding ‘the assurance of the right to return’.⁽⁵⁾

On 10 December 1948, the UN General Assembly put its stamp of approval on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The following day, 11 December 1948, a majority of the Assembly’s member states adopted Resolution 194 (III) setting out a framework for the solution to the conflict in Palestine in general, and specifically reaffirming that all refugees displaced from the country during the war should be permitted to voluntarily return to their homes and be compensated for losses and damages.⁽⁶⁾ Reflecting the views of those states that had voted in favor of the resolution, the Australian representative (Mr. Hood) characterized Resolution 194 (III) as a ‘practical and realistic’⁽⁷⁾ solution to the conflict.

Notes

(1) Mr. Abadi (Iraq), UN GAOR, 3rd Sess., 3rd Comm., 108th Mtg., Oct. 20, 1948, 195.

(2) Mr. Watt (Australia), UN GAOR, 3rd Sess., 3rd Comm., 109th Mtg., Oct. 20, 1948, 206.

(3) Mr. Baroody (Saudi Arabia), supra n. 2, 209. The French delegate (Mr. Grumbach) expressed similar concerns about the International Refugee Organization. Id., 211.

(4) Mary Ann Glendon, A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (New York: Random House, 2001), 153.

(5) Mr. Azkoul (Lebanon), UN GAOR, 3rd Sess., 3rd Comm., 120th Mtg., Nov. 2, 1948, 316.

(6) See, GA Res. 194 (III), UN GAOR, 3rd Sess., UN Doc. A/RES/194 (1948), para. 11.

(7) Mr. Hood (Australia), UN GAOR, 3rd Sess., 184th Plenary Mtg., Dec. 11, 1948, 936. See also, comments of Mr. McNeil (United Kingdom) referring to the resolution as a ‘reasonable, just and workable solution’. Id., 948.

How can we participate in the UDHR-60 Campaign?

• Request permission for use of the UN campaign logo: a logo, including the slogan “Justice and dignity for all of us”, is available from the UN OHCHR for use in worldwide activities promoting the rights enshrined in the UDHR. This logo can be added to statements issued in the context of the Nakba-60 campaign. The logo can be obtained – based on a brief explanation about the type of activity planned and signing a waiver – from: 60anniversary@ohchr.org

• Post your Nakba-60 activities on the website of the UDHR-60 campaign: a special website for the UDHR-60 campaign will be launched on 10 December 2007. According to the OHCHR, “it will be a market place of ideas how to mark the anniversary and a source of information about the Universal Declaration. Visitors to the site will be invited to provide details of their special events, publications, illustrations, educational activities, performances, music and other means they plan to mark the anniversary.”
  Send your project plans to: kyr2008@unric.org, Have a look at the website: www.KnowYourRights2008.org