Dr. Herbert Vere Evatt
By Kim and Liadan
Ban Ki-moon on the UN and Doc Evatt
Significant Events
Dr Evatt initiated Australia's first independent foreign policy and became widely recognised around the world as a supporter of the right of the smaller nations to peaceful development and equality.
He lead Australias delegation to the meeting in San Francisco on June 26th 1945, that founded the United Nations and its 6 main organs.
Brief History
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
'Doc' Evatt was born on the 30th of April 1894 in Maitland NSW.
He was an Australian jurist, judge, lawyer, politician, parliamentarian and writer.
In 1925 he was elected as an Australian Labor party member for Balmain in the NSW Legislative assembly. He also served as High Court Judge, Attorney-General and Minister for External Affairs.
In 1948 Dr Evatt was elected as President of the General Assembly of the United Nations. As he was the only Australian to have ever held the position, he presided over the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNHR), the foundation of human rights protection throughout the modern world.
The Universal Declaration includes civil and political rights, like the right to life, free speech and privacy. It also includes economic, social and cultural rights, like the right to social security, health and education.