John Peters Humphrey

John Peters Humphrey. A pioneering Canadian legal scholar and international civil servant, he is best known as the principal author of the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As the inaugural director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights, he played a foundational role in shaping the modern international human rights system. His academic career was primarily spent at the Faculty of Law, McGill University, where he influenced generations of legal minds.

Early life and education

Born in Hampton, New Brunswick, he experienced significant hardship in his youth, including the loss of both parents and a severe burn accident that resulted in the amputation of his left arm. He attended Rothesay Collegiate School before pursuing higher education at Mount Allison University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. He then moved to Montreal to study law at McGill University, obtaining a Bachelor of Civil Law and later a Master of Arts in political science. His academic pursuits took him abroad for doctoral studies at the University of Paris and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, immersing him in European legal thought on the eve of World War II.

Career and academic work

Returning to Canada, he joined the Faculty of Law, McGill University in 1936, where he taught international law and jurisprudence. His early scholarship focused on the League of Nations and the International Labour Organization, analyzing the weaknesses of the pre-war international order. During the war, his expertise was sought by the Wartime Information Board, and he contributed to planning for the post-war world. In 1946, his reputation led to an appointment by the first Secretary-General of the United Nations, Trygve Lie, to serve in the United Nations Secretariat in New York City.

Drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

As the first director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights, he was tasked by the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Human Rights, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, with preparing a preliminary draft of an international bill of rights. Working from a small office in the United Nations Headquarters, he synthesized input from diverse global legal traditions, including the Magna Carta, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and proposed drafts from Latin American states. His 408-page draft, completed in June 1947, served as the essential working document for the Commission, which included members like René Cassin of France and Charles Malik of Lebanon. The final text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948.

Later career and advocacy

He continued to lead the United Nations Division of Human Rights for two decades, overseeing the development of major treaties like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. He also worked on investigations into allegations of apartheid in South Africa and racial discrimination in South West Africa. After leaving the United Nations in 1966, he returned to McGill University as a professor of law and political science. He remained a vigorous advocate, founding the Canadian Human Rights Foundation and serving as a member of the International Commission of Jurists. He frequently advised organizations like Amnesty International and represented Bangladesh in a case before the International Court of Justice.

Legacy and recognition

His foundational contribution to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was formally recognized by the United Nations in 1988 on the document's 40th anniversary. In Canada, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and received the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case. His papers are held at McGill University, and the John Peters Humphrey Award is presented by the Canadian Council on International Law. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg features his work, and his legacy is celebrated annually on Human Rights Day, commemorating the adoption of the declaration he helped bring to life.

Category:Canadian human rights activists Category:United Nations officials Category:McGill University faculty