Who was Monsieur René Cassin?
“There will never be peace on this planet as long as human rights are being violated in any part of the world.”
Monsieur René Cassin was a French-Jewish jurist, law professor and judge.
He co-drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968. You can read his 1968 Nobel speech here.
He helped found the Consultative Council of Jewish Organisations – dedicated to providing encouragement from a Jewish perspective to the newly founded UN human rights system.
Monsieur René Cassin was born on 5 October 1887 in Bayonne, France. Having served in the First World War, he founded The French Federation of Disabled War Veterans, a charity for men permanently injured in the war. He remained its President or Honorary President until 1940.
Cassin became a Professor of Law at the University of Aix-en-Provence and then the University of Paris. He was a French delegate to the League of Nations from 1924 to 1938. Here he pressed for progress on disarmament and developing institutions to aid the resolution of international conflicts.
He worked tirelessly on the development of international human rights protection, urging the creation of an international court to punish war crimes in 1942. He was a delegate to the UN Commission on Inquiry into War Crimes (1943-1945) and frequently served as a delegate for the French Government to the UN General Assembly and UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Cassin was president of the Hague Court of Arbitration from 1950-1960.
Monsieur René Cassin died on 20 February 1976, aged 88.
“A little more justice in the world” – Our commitment to Monsieur René Cassin’s legacy
On being informed that he would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968, Monsieur René Cassin replied: “I am very happy. It is not given to every man to have the luck to learn law, to teach it, to make it as a judge and promote it internationally as an international judge”.
But he added “I would be happier if there were a little more justice in the world”.
Our mission is to bring ‘a little more justice’ to the world in Monsieur René Cassin’s name.
More about Monsieur René Cassin by Caroline Cassin
Monsieur René Cassin was a French lawyer from our family, the Cassin family. Today, I want to share what I have learned from conversations, anecdotes, following the family footsteps in Bayonne and exploring French archives over the past 20 years about the first cousin of my husband’s grandfather, René Samuel Cassin.
René Samuel Cassin grew up in Bayonne, Southwest France, within a Sephardic Orthodox family that was well-known and respected. His family had a history of living in the St. Esprit Ghettos but had since become integrated into the wider society of Bayonne.
The family-owned Rachel Cottage, a property spanning four hectares, which was named after René’s grandmother. This was where René spent his childhood. As René Samuel Cassin grew older, the simplicity of his childhood began to change. The discussions at home, which used to be about our family traditions started to shift towards more serious topics like French politics and the increasing antisemitism in society. His grandfather Leonce’s involvement with the Dreyfus affair became a frequent topic of conversation, influencing René’s early understanding of these issues.
René’s mother, Gabrielle Dreyfus, played a crucial role in his life, ensuring that René’s education was conducted at home, allowing the family and cousins to observe the Sabbath faithfully. René had several tutors, who taught him not just academic subjects, but also values that were important to our family’s faith and heritage. The principles of justice and equality, especially as exemplified in the teachings of the Exodus, ‘There shall be one law for the citizen and the stranger who dwells among you,’ had a significant impact on him.”
further reinforced by the commandment of loving our neighbour as ourselves (Leviticus 19) advocating for one law that applies to all, irrespective of tribe, wealth, and power.
At thirteen, Cassin entered the French Lycée of Nice, he was often at the top of his class.
At sixteen, missing the philosophy registration he ended up last minute in Law at Aix-en-Provence University. He excelled in his studies, topping general competitions across all law faculties in France.
The First World War abruptly interrupted René Cassin’s academic pursuits. As a soldier, he suffered severe injuries from machine gun fire. He faced personal tragedy with the loss of his sister Felice, he took on the responsibility of caring for her four children, whose father, Raoul Abram, died in the war. This experience heightened his awareness of the struggles faced by widows and orphans. He firmly believed that the individual should come before the State and that reparation was a right, not a Favor.
Cassin’s role as a representative for French soldiers led him to the League of Nations. A significant moment occurred in 1933 when Goebbels made a declaration that Germany would treat “its Jews as it saw fit”.
In 1941, Professor Cassin left for London with a sailor’s bag to meet Raymond Aron on the Ettrick liner. There, he heard General de Gaulle’s declaration, ‘I am France,’ “ Vous tombez à pique” at St. Stephen’s.
Driven by urgency in London’s Hyde Park, Cassin quickly drafted the Churchill-de-Gaulle accord in just 30 hours. The signing of this document, while acknowledging the slight disturbance caused by Churchill’s cigar, was a significant event in Cassin’s life.
After the war, the devastating news that our family had been deported to Auschwitz and the loss of our Rachel Cottage spoliated further strengthened René Cassin’s determination. Motivated
by a desire for a world where human rights are respected, he was inspired by the inclusive message from the Bayonne synagogue his grandfather had helped establish: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Cassin was part of an eight-member committee. One evening, he drafted the articles of the UDHR. He strongly advocated for the term ‘universal’. His dedication to the project led to the creation of this important document, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948.
What can we learn from Rene Cassin’s Life?
· He left us a legacy to uphold.
· He left us with a guide for the world to follow.
· He also left us with responsibilities.
“Today, where there is no respect for human rights and freedom, there is no peace either. Every day, young people fall on the battlefields. Every day, prisoners are taken to prison and torture chambers. Peace, everyone must seize it every day. »
René Samuel Cassin. Member of the government of Free France during the Second World War, author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, vice-president of the Council of State from 1944 to 1959 and later as the president of the European Court of Human Rights from 1965 to 1968. awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968, along with the United Nations Human Rights Prize. founder and then president of the Federal Union of French Associations of Disabled, Retired, Veterans, Their Widows, Orphans, and Ascendants.
His ashes rest at the Pantheon, but his spirit – and the spirit of our Rachel Cottage – lives on in the hearts and minds of our family and with those who continue to fight for justice and equality.
“There is something universal in every man.’ Rene Cassin.