Sub-series SOA 417/5 - Ad Hoc Commission on the Question of Prisoners of War

Identity area

Reference code

SOA 417/5

Title

Ad Hoc Commission on the Question of Prisoners of War

Date(s)

  • 1948-1951 (Creation)

Level of description

Sub-series

Extent and medium

87 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

In December 1950, the Third Committee of the General Assembly addressed the issue of the failure on the part of the USSR to repatriate or otherwise account for prisoners of war detained in Soviet territory. As a result the General Assembly adopted Measures for the Peaceful Solution of the Problem of Prisoners of War, which included the establishment by the Secretary-General of an ad hoc Commission composed of three impartial persons charged with settling the question of the prisoners of war in a "purely humanitarian spirit and on terms acceptable to all governments concerned" (GA Resolution 427 (V)).

With the establishment of the ad hoc Commission, governments were called upon to furnish the Secretary-General with information concerning prisoners of war prior to 30 April 1951. Following this deadline, the Commission convened to review the correspondence from governments, to request additional information or to use its good offices to resolve outstanding questions of repatriation.

The Division of Human Rights was given responsibility for the implementation of the General Assembly resolution, with the exception of the appointment of the members of the Commission which remained with the Secretary-General's Office.

These records include memoranda and correspondence on the workings of the ad hoc Commission, as well as correspondence with governments, including the names of prisoners thought to be still held by governments and the names of those dead while in captivity.

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
  • Spanish
  • 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 129/Sequences 22 - 52/Reel 130/Sequences 1 - 45/Reel 131/Sequences 1 -10

    Related units of description

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Note

    Some records in Japanese, Indonesian.
    Protection period to: 1971-12-31

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Scope ID

    9559

    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