Charter is still relevant

Asiaweek Oct 31, 1997

IS the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights truly universal? Timothy Chorba, outgoing U.S. ambassador to Singapore, believes so. He contributed the following column to a recent edition of the Straits Times. A condensed version:

SOME commentators suggest the Declaration is no longer relevant. They imply it reflects the bias of Western drafters, is rooted in values alien to Asia and has been imposed on the non-Western world by Western "superpowers." A careful reading of the Declaration leads to a more balanced and constructive view.

Myth: The Declaration was drafted by Western countries.
Fact: The eight members of the UN special committee that drafted the document represented [the Republic of] China, Lebanon, Chile, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, the Soviet Union and the United States. Many others contributed suggestions. The chairperson was Eleanor Roosevelt, an American humanitarian and wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The vice chairman was a Chinese diplomat and the rapporteur a Lebanese philosopher. The General Assembly adopted the Declaration 48-0, with eight countries abstaining. Among the countries that voted "yes" were Burma, China, Cuba, India, Iran, Iraq, the Philippines and Thailand.

Myth: The Declaration was an attempt by colonial powers to impose their will on weaker, smaller nations.
Fact: So-called "third world" countries such as Panama, Chile and Cuba were among the strongest advocates of the concept that the UN should agree on a set of universal human rights. The Declaration was one of the first international agreements to recognize the essential equality of all of the world's people and the dignity of individuals regardless of their country of origin or its international strength.

Myth: The Declaration focuses only on individual rights and ignores community interests.
Fact: Article 16 states that "the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state." Article 29 states that "everyone has duties to the community. . . subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and welfare in a democratic society."

Myth: The Declaration does not address economic and social rights. Fact: Article 23 states that "everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment." Article 25 states: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family."

The original drafters of the Declaration produced a rich document reflecting many different viewpoints, as powerful and relevant today as when it was first drafted a half century ago.