Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1956-1965 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
26 files.
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
As part of the Department of Social Affairs, the Division of Human Rights was headed by John Humphrey from 1946 to 1966. The Division was responsible in the Secretariat for the work of the Commission on Human Rights, which had been given a clear mandate by the Economic and Social Council to draft the international bill of rights. It was responsible as well for the Commission on the Status of Women, the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination, the Sub-Commission on Freedom of Information and the Ad Hoc Commission on Questions of Prisoners of War.
In 1962, the Division was composed of 5 units manned by 49 staff members. Due to lack of office space, United Nations New York approached United Nations Office Geneva to explore the possibility of housing the Division in Geneva, to which UNOG expressed its willingness. In April, the Acting Secretary-General decided that it would not be advisable to move the Division to Geneva at that time. Eventually, the Division was relocated to Geneva in 1973 (ref G.IIA 5/36). From 06.1974 the Division of Human Rights was officially transferred from United Nations Headquarters to United Nations Office Geneva.
In 1982 the Division of Human Rights (DHR) became the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and shortly thereafter (01.1983) the Head of the CHR was reclassified to the level of Under-Secretary-General. In 1987, the Secretary-General designated the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva as the head of the Centre for Human Rights. In 1992 the Assistant Secretary-General was appointed as head of the Centre, reporting directly to the Secretary-General.
In 1994 the first High Commissioner for Human Rights was appointed and in 1997 the Centre for Human Rights and the Office of the High Commissioner were consolidated into a single Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
At the 27th session of ECOSOC in Mexico it was proposed that a consultant be hired by the Secretary-General to assist the Division of Human Rights in undertake a long-range survey on developments in freedom of information since 1954. The survey was to include in particular: 1. The news sources to which people have access; 2. The extent to which they receive news of the UN and its specialized agencies and their work of peace; 3. Developments in the facilities for the free flow of accurate and undistorted information into and out of under-developed countries. The records include information collected from governments, specialized agencies, organizations and UN organs for the purpose of the report.
ECOSOC resolution 718 (XXVII) requested that the Secretary-General prepare for the Commission on Human Rights an annual report on freedom of information. The records contain information collected from governments, UN organs and specialized agencies for the compilation of the first four annual reports, covering the years 1960 - 1964.
The records include responses from specialized agencies to the Secretary-General's communication of ECOSOC resolution 643 (XXIII) regarding media of information in under-developed countries and the completion of a study on the subject with UNESCO.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
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Numeric file code.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Archive Employee
Restricted
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
- French
- German
- Russian
- Spanish
- zz
Script of material
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Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Microfilm reference number: ARR 1157/Reel 72/Sequences 11 - 32/Reel 73/Sequences 1 - 6
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Protection period to: 1985-12-31
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Description control area
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Archivist's note
Protection period duration: 20
Archivist's note
Protection period note:
Archivist's note
Permission:
Archivist's note
Physical usability: Without limits
Archivist's note
Term of protection: UN Restricted (20)