Rene Cassin quotes

René Cassin was a French jurist and judge who played a key role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His contributions greatly influenced international law and the protection of human rights worldwide. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to promote dignity and justice. Here are 12 of his quotes:

The Covenant of the League of Nations had envisaged sponsoring only the protection of certain categories of men: national minorities and populations of territories controlled by other countries.

Rene Cassin

As corollaries to the right of every individual to life and to full participation in society, the Declaration incorporated in the list of human rights the right to work and a certain number of economic, social, and cultural rights.

Rene Cassin

The only compensation, gained through the influence of nongovernmental organizations, consisted in slightly broadening for private individuals the possibility of access and appeal to the agencies enforcing the Covenant concerned with civil and political rights.

Rene Cassin

When France resolved, along with England, to lend assistance in the legitimate defense of Poland, the realization burst on us that a conflict of awesome proportions was inevitable.

Rene Cassin

Similarly, the problem of the rights of the state in the disposition of inheritances left by individuals presents social aspects of the first importance.

Rene Cassin

The implementation measures of both Covenants, but especially those of the Covenant concerning civil and political rights, were considerably weakened to the point where they assumed an optional character.

Rene Cassin

We were thus led to organize ourselves, as men who had fought the war together, in order to support those statesmen who had truly understood the lessons of that World War, thus attempting to prevent its recurrence.

Rene Cassin

And as a child I was filled with passionate admiration for acts of civic courage I had seen performed by an elderly military doctor, who was a friend of my family.

Rene Cassin

As a consequence of these hesitations and of the vague character of such innovations, the Commission on Human Rights itself had doubts from the beginning about its role and its functions in general.

Rene Cassin

The other salient characteristic of the Declaration is its universality: it applies to all human beings without any discrimination whatever; it also applies to all territories, whatever their economic or political regime.

Rene Cassin