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今天是国际人权日，总理杜鲁多发表声明。他在声明里特别提到联合国《世界人权宣言》主要撰写人、加拿大人John Humphrey。
John Humphrey有一个艰难的童年：1岁前失去父亲，11岁时失去母亲，6岁时左臂因严重烧伤被截。他克服困难，在麦吉尔大学获得四个学位，后来成为该校的法学院院长。
1964年，John Humphrey受邀设立联合国人权暑，并担任该暑主管。他为联合国《世界人权宣言》 准备了400页的背景资料，并撰写了草稿。1947年，《世界人权宣言》通过。John Humphrey 在联合国任职直至1966年。
离开联合国后，John Humphrey回到麦吉尔大学教书，并继续人权倡权活动。他是国际法学家委员会加拿大分会创会会长，并帮助成立了加拿大大赦国际和加拿大人权基金会。
John Humphrey was born in Hampton, NB and went to school in Rothesay, NB. John did not have an easy childhood. His father died before John was one year old and his mother when he was eleven. His left arm was amputated when he was six because of a severe burn. Undeterred by these handicaps, John Humphrey pursued his studies at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB and then at McGill University in Montreal. He earned four degrees at McGill and later became a professor and dean of law.
In 1946, Humphrey was asked to set up the UN's Division for Human Rights, of which he became the Director. In this capacity, he prepared a 400 page background paper for the proposed Universal Declaration and wrote its first draft in 1947. After further drafts and revisions by various UN officials and committees, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN in 1948. Humphrey was Director of the Human Rights Division until 1966.
Humphrey then returned to McGill, where he devoted himself to human rights teaching and advocacy. He was the founding president of the Canadian Section of the International Commission of Jurists and he helped establish Amnesty International Canada and the Canadian Human Rights Foundation.
Humphrey authored numerous articles and several books. He received 13 honourary degrees and, in 1974, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. In his honour, the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development established the $25,000 John Humphrey Freedom Award, which is presented each year. Humphrey died in 1995 in Montreal. Canada Post issued a stamp in his honour in October 1998.
（Source: New Brunswick Human Rights Commission) |
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