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In June 1946 ECOSOC empowered the Commission on Human Rights to establish sub-commissions to advise it on the protection of minorities and the prevention of discrimination. The Commission set up just one sub-commission, the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities. Made up of twelve members serving in their individual capacity as experts, the first meeting was held in November 1947. The Sub-Commission was mandated to undertake studies and make recommendations to the Commission.

During the second session of the Commission on Human Rights in 1947 the full concept of an International Bill of Rights as a three-part document - a declaration, a convention and measures of implementation - emerged. The result was first of all the Draft International Declaration on Human Rights, followed by a Draft International Covenant on Human Rights, and thirdly the Report on Measures of Implementation. Together these three parts are referred to as the International Bill of Rights.

The final text of the International Declaration of Human Rights was prepared at the third session of the Commission in 1948 and adopted on 10 December 1948 by the General Assembly.

ECOSOC during its second session (05.1946) empowered the Commission on Human Rights to establish two sub-commissions, the Sub-Commission on Protection of Minorities and the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination. The Commission decided during its first session (01.1947) to establish a single sub-commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorites, asking that ECOSOC appoint the members of the sub-commission from a list of names provided by the Commission.

These records document the early work of the Sub-Commission as it addressed the protection of minorities and in particular the question of whether and to what extent the treaties and declarations of 1919 and thereafter concerning minorities should be regarded as being still in force.

The Division of Human Rights prepared a background document entitled Activities of Various Organs of the United Nations in Connection with the Right of Asylum for the Commission on Human Rights on the right of asylum, an agenda item of the seventh session of the Commission (1951). The right of asylum, which figures in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was not finally included in the draft Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as a result of, among other things, the difficulty in devising acceptable provisions with binding force.

Records consist of correspondence and memoranda related to the transmission of information on human rights situations to members of the United Nations not represented on the Commission on Human Rights.