Mr. Speaker, on October 6 a special stamp honouring the late Dr. John Humphreys will be unveiled by Canada Post. This stamp will pay tribute to a great Canadian who made an unparalleled contribution to the international human rights community.
In 1945 after the world had witnessed the atrocities of World War II, Dr. Humphreys along with Eleanor Roosevelt drafted the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The never before seen injustices of the Holocaust prior to and during the war gave need to find and define a new term, genocide, and to condemn it as a crime against humanity. This is but one of the legacies of the universal declaration.
Dr. Humphreys' visionary perspective laid the groundwork for the realization of human dignity across the world for all people, whether as groups or individuals, by affirming fundamental rights and freedoms. The principles enshrined in his legacy have been adopted in national constitutions in all corners of the world. His road map is a vision for peace and humanity so that we can live in human dignity and hope for a more respectful society worldwide.