The Archives and Records Management Section (ARMS) holds many treasures going back to the very beginning of the Organization in 1945, some of which are now included on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
UNESCO established the Memory of the World Programme in 1992 to “guard against the collective amnesia” by preserving valuable archival collections throughout the world.
Since then, 570 pieces of documentary heritage have been inscribed on it, with more added each year.
For the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2023, ARMS, together with the UN Library & Archives Geneva, began the rigorous process of submitting a selection of archives and official documents related to drafting the declaration for inclusion on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
On 17 April 2025, our submission was accepted, and the historical records were inscribed.
Among them is a 22-page original draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights made by René Cassin, who served as the rapporteur on the UN Commission of Human Rights.
Widely credited with being one of the main drafters of the declaration, Cassin received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in 1968.
The draft is written on paper of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, which Cassin joined during the Second World War. One can see the multiple corrections and inserts inked on the pages.
To celebrate the addition of the draft on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, ARMS has digitized it in high resolution.
Discover this important document for yourself in our online catalogue.
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Originally published in UN Intranet (iSeek)
18 December 2025