LOUIS SOHN’S INFLUENCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CURRENT HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

Abstract

The article is devoted to the investigation of scientific views of Lviv University alumni Louis Sohn on the formation of institution of human rights defense. Attention has been paid to impact of United Nations on the formation of intergovernmental cooperation to ensure basic human rights and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights development. The common scientific positions of Louis Sohn, Volodymyr Koretskyy and Hersh Lauterpacht about the meaning of this fundamental international legal act have been underlined. Lauterpacht was one of the few international lawyers actively campaigning for human rights. He gave idea and prepared actually first draft of this important document in the sphere of human rights. Koretskyy had participated in the meeting of the working committee of the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He has been argued need for creating a system where the individual is not opposed to society and the state. The Declaration thus is now considered to be an authoritative interpretation of the U.N. Charter, spelling out in considerable detail the meaning of the phrase «human rights and fundamental freedoms» which Member States agreed in the Charter to promote and observe. In a parallel development, individuals gained rights under international law and, to some extent, means for vindication of those rights on the international plane. This development entailed four different lawbuilding stages: assertion of international concern about human rights in the U.N. Charter; listing of those rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; elaboration of the rights in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Louis Sohn has been investigated International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Those documents contain clear commitments binding on all States Parties. Key words: Louis Sohn; Volodymyr Koretskyy; Hersh Lauterpacht; human rights defence; Universal Declaration of Human Rights; United Nations.