How we cite our quotes: (Line Number)
Quote #4
Man's desire for peace lies behind this Declaration. The realization that the flagrant violation of human rights by Nazi and Fascist countries sowed the seeds of the last world war has supplied the impetus for the work which brings us to the moment of achievement here today. (49-50)
The Holocaust exposed a serious weakness in the international community. There wasn't any rule or law that explicitly stated genocide was, you know, illegal—probably because it was something so many people felt didn't really need to be said. But we learned our lesson the hard way, and the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were two big efforts to correct that error and stop mass murder and human rights violations from ever happening again.
Quote #5
We have much to do to fully achieve and to assure the rights set forth in this Declaration. But having them put before us with the moral backing of 58 nations will be a great step forward. (55-56)
Nice try, but that is not all, folks.
In fact, the work has only just begun. History is complicated, especially the stuff that influenced the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and a single (super important) document isn't going to fix all the problems. The fact that 58 nations were able to agree on so much in the complex field of human rights is worth celebrating, so long as everyone remembers there's still work left to be done.