The Human Rights Council is made up of 18 members from various political, cultural

and religious backgrounds. The Drafting Committee was chaired by Eleanor

Roosevelt, widow of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A French legal expert and
committee member, René Cassin, composed the first draft of the Declaration.

In 1948, the United Nations sought to establish international cooperation to ensure

the respect of fundamental freedoms. The Universal Declaration officially defines
these freedoms. The main idea is that everyone can live freely provided that they
respect and do not harm the freedom of others. Based on the Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789, the 1948 text expounds on and adds
certain rights: the right to work, education, culture and health. Since 1948, it has
been expanded even further to cover other areas, such as women’s rights, children’s
rights and forced disappearances. The 1948 Declaration also created “duties to the
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