Items16The creator’s order
  1. 1Bertha LutzBertha LutzBorn Aug 2, 1894Putting equality into the UN Charter The Brazilian delegate argued at the 1945 San Francisco conference for explicit recognition of women’s rights in the Charter. Read the preamble’s reference to the equal rights of men and women with that debate in mind. The words mattered because they made…0
  2. 2Minerva BernardinoMinerva BernardinoMaking sex discrimination explicit The Dominican delegate signed the Charter and worked with other Latin American delegates to get women’s rights and nondiscrimination into the document. The Charter’s language on fundamental freedoms names sex among the grounds on which people should not be…0
  3. 3Gladwyn JebbGladwyn JebbTaking the UN from preparation to its first meetings Jebb served as executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission and became acting secretary-general in October 1945. He was in place before a permanent secretary-general was elected. Start here if you want to see the handoff from governments…0
  4. 4Trygve LieTrygve LieBorn Jul 16, 1896Becoming the first elected secretary-general The General Assembly elected Lie in 1946. His first bulletin established headquarters in New York and a temporary office in London. Set his entry beside Jebb’s to see the difference between getting the first meetings underway and making an institution…0
  5. 5Eleanor RooseveltEleanor RooseveltBorn Oct 11, 1884Chairing the human rights drafting committee Roosevelt chaired the committee that worked on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Put her role next to those of Hansa Mehta and P. C. Chang to see why a chair and a text’s drafters do different work. Roosevelt had to help a group representing…0
  6. 6Hansa MehtaHansa MehtaBorn Jul 3, 1897Making the declaration’s opening language inclusive Mehta is credited with helping change the proposed wording of the opening article from all men to all human beings. It is a small change on the page and a large one for the reader. The first words tell you whom the declaration is speaking about.0
  7. 7P. C. ChangP. C. ChangBorn Apr 22, 1892Bringing different traditions into the drafting room Chang was vice-chair of the human rights drafting committee. His contributions drew on Chinese philosophy, including ideas associated with Confucianism. Read his role alongside Roosevelt’s to see how the committee’s work depended on arguments…0
  8. 8Julian HuxleyJulian HuxleyBorn Jun 22, 1887Setting out an early vision for UNESCO Huxley served as executive secretary of UNESCO’s preparatory commission and became its first director-general. His 1946 statement on the organization’s purpose ties education, science, and culture to the work of peace. It is worth reading alongside the…0
  9. 9Ludwik RajchmanLudwik RajchmanBorn Nov 1, 1881Proposing an emergency fund for children Rajchman, representing Poland, proposed using remaining relief resources to set up a children’s emergency fund. The General Assembly established the fund that became UNICEF in December 1946. His proposal is a good example of how a temporary pool of…0
  10. 10Maurice PateMaurice PateBorn Oct 14, 1894Putting UNICEF’s relief work into practice As the first executive director, Pate insisted that aid reach children in defeated countries as well as victorious ones. During his tenure, UNICEF’s mandate broadened to include children and families across the developing world. The shift shows how a fund…0