Sub-series SOA 417/03 - Communications concerning Prisoners of War

Identity area

Reference code

SOA 417/03

Title

Communications concerning Prisoners of War

Date(s)

  • 1948-1956 (Creation)

Level of description

Sub-series

Extent and medium

11 files.

Context area

Name of creator

UN NY Registry

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

UNOG Registry, Records and Archives Unit

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The records contain correspondence with regard to advisory services. In accordance with ECOSOC Resolutions 75 (V) and 116A (VI), the Division of Human Rights compiled a confidential list of communications received by the Secretary-General concerning human rights with a brief indication of the substance of each. These were communicated to the Commission, as well as to the member state referred to directly in the communication. These communications included but were not limited to information on prisoners of war.

With the creation of the ad hoc Commission on the Question of Prisoners of War in December 1950, a subsidiary body of the General Assembly, the Division of Human Rights prepared a summary list of all the information on individual prisoners of war which had been submitted to the United Nations by private persons or organizations. The records in this sub-series contain the original communications collected by the Division, as well as, in some cases, a copy of the reply.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Numeric file code.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Archive Employee

Restricted

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • zz

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Microfilm reference number: ARR 1157/Reel 125/Sequences 8 - 18

    Related units of description

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Note

    Includes letters in Japanese and Swedish.
    Protection period to: 1976-12-31

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Scope ID

    9550

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Status

    Draft

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        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 Classified (20)

        Accession area