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Thanks, Peter. Why I asked was because my parents told me - and I don't know where they got this from, except they were there at the time, and probably read it in the newspapers- they told me that the then South African Prime MInister, Jan Smuts, was one of the principal authors. He was a prominent philosopher as well as politician, but in view of South Africa's political history over the next 30 or so years, I found it somewhat incongruous. South Africa and human rights just didn't seem to belong together in the same sentence.. So I was sort of hoping someone could confirm or deny this. Hilary Blue --------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Kidd wrote: > > Hillary asked: > > >Aa very significant document in the history of Mankind. Does > > anybody know who the actual authors were? > > As with many documents of this kind, there is not one author, but a > consensus hammered out through countless discussions and meetings. > > Below is information about its origins from Amnesty International Canadian > Section. If anyone would like a plain language version of the Declaration I > would be glad to send it via email. Let me know privately at > [log in to unmask] > > ==================== > many individuals and nongovernmental organizations in addition to those from > member states. He stressed before he died in March 1995, that there was no > single author of the Declaration, and that hundreds of people contributed to > this international declaration. John Humphrey believed that no contemporary > international document. even the Charter of the United Nations, has had more > impact or moral authority than the Universal Declaration. The challenge is > for all of us to find ways of enforcing the standards set In the UDHR. It > is the responsibility of every individual, and every government, to honour > this Declaration in order to safeguard freedom and justice. >