Putting the Great Enterprise into Context

Subject(s):

Civil and political rights — Development, right to — Regional co-operation — Natural resources — International humanitarian law — Sovereignty — Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

The Introduction explains the origin and relevance of the description ‘a very great enterprise’ as a theme which runs through the book. The term marked the very first moments when the setting up of a Commission on Human Rights was discussed, as the United Nations was taking shape in 1946. It sets out the author’s involvement in the development of the human rights programme and the hands-on experience in various countries, gained over the decades at the United Nations since 1966 and in other capacities during this century. The book aims ‘to let the historic and actual reality speak for itself’, and thus it covers each session since the first one in 1947, up to 2019. It is followed by a description of the structure of the book, which is intended to provide a solid basis to improve efforts in the years to come.