Karim Azkoul

Karim Azkoul (Arabic: کریم عزقول) was a Lebanese diplomat and philosopher born in Rashaya, then part of the Ottoman Empire on July 15, 1915. His most notable achievements include his participation in the original writing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Personal life Azkoul married Eva Corey in 1947. Azkoul has a grandson who is a rapper by the name of Dr Koul.

Azkoul's leisures included reading and writing. There, he is known to have worked closely alongside Charles Malik.

Other work of his with the U.N. includes having been Acting Permanent Delegate to the U.N. from 1950 to 1953 and Head of U.N. Affairs Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon) from 1953 to 1957.

On 10 November 1950, he was photographed at a U.N. radio alongside René Cassin, Georges Day and Herald C.L. Roy, participating in a roundtable discussion for the use of French-speaking countries.

He went on to become the Head Permanent Delegation to the U.N. from 1957 to 1959. Karim Azkoul (second from the left) alongside Mr. Rudolph Aboukhater, Mr. Le Marchand and Mr. Desmond Fennessy on the cover of 'Overseas Trading', 1961. From 1959 to 1961, Azkoul was Consul General of Lebanon in Australia and New Zealand. From 1961 to 1964, he was ambassador to Ghana, Guinea and Mali, and to Iran and Afghanistan from 1964 to 1966.

Character Azkoul was described by Raphael Lemkin, coiner of the term Genocide, as having had a "philosophical mind" whose voice carried "firmness and conviction", not being afraid of defending small nations' interests against the superpowers of his day.

Right to asylum Azkoul fought for a complete definition of the right to seek and be granted asylum in the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. Because he was a representative of Lebanon at that time, some scholars argue that the country cannot now call itself "no country of asylum" as this would be ignoring Azkoul's efforts in his diplomatic capacity at the time.

Freedom of information Azkoul believed strongly in the freedom of the press and advocated for the formation of national information agencies.

The purpose of the U.N. During his time at the United Nations, one of Azkoul's objectives was to keep the organization on track with what he considered to be one of its most important goals: to defend the weaker nations against the most powerful.

On communism Azkoul never expressed any political alignment in the communist/capitalist debate and refused to be swept into British and American anticommunist rhetoric.

Quotes "Big nations can protect themselves with arms, but our only protection is international law."

"There is the feeling in Lebanon that the anticommunism of the Middle East comes largely from the influence of the United States and Britain."

“Everyone has the right to seek and to be granted asylum during persecution.”

Awards and recognition Azkoul was awarded the National Order of the Cedar, Lebanon, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, the Order of Saint Marc, Alexandria, the Order of The Brilliant Star, Republic of China, the Order of Southern Star, Brazil and the Order of Saint Peter and Paul, Damascus.

Publications Reason and Faith in Islam (German), 1938. Reason in Islam (Arabic), 1946. Freedom (co-author), 1956. Freedom of Association (U.N.), 1968

Translated into Arabic: Consciencism (Nkrumah), 1964. Arab Thought In The Liberal Age (Albert Hourani), 1969