<P> When the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany became fully apparent after World War II, the consensus within the world community was that the United Nations Charter did not sufficiently define the rights to which it referred . A universal declaration that specified the rights of individuals was necessary to give effect to the Charter's provisions on human rights . </P> <P> In June 1946, the UN Economic and Social Council established the Commission on Human Rights, comprising 18 members from various nationalities and political backgrounds . The Commission, a standing body of the United Nations, was constituted to undertake the work of preparing what was initially conceived as an International Bill of Rights . </P> <P> The Commission established a special Universal Declaration of Human Rights Drafting Committee, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, to write the articles of the Declaration . The Committee met in two sessions over the course of two years . </P> <P> Canadian John Peters Humphrey, Director of the Division of Human Rights within the United Nations Secretariat, was called upon by the United Nations Secretary - General to work on the project and became the Declaration's principal drafter . At the time, Humphrey was newly appointed as Director of the Division of Human Rights within the United Nations Secretariat . </P>

Who created the un declaration of human rights