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
