How we cite our quotes: (Line Number)
Quote #1
The Soviet amendment to article 20 is obviously a very restrictive statement of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. It sets up standards which would enable any state practically to deny all freedom of opinion and expression without violating the article. (20-21)
One of the big problems that came up throughout the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the conflict between individual rights and state rights—i.e., Cold War conflicts between the Western world and the Soviet Union.
In communist countries like the USSR, freedom of opinion was not exactly encouraged, and including such a restriction in the declaration was viewed by the majority of member states as a violation of human rights—and that's not what anyone wanted.
Quote #2
Certain provisions of the Declaration are stated in such broad terms as to be acceptable only because of the provisions in article 30 providing for limitation on the exercise of the rights for the purpose of meeting the requirements of morality, public order, and the general welfare. (31)
While all the members of the United Nations couldn't agree on everything, they were on the same page when it came to tyranny: it's bad. But in some cases, that's where agreement ended, so most of the articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are pretty broad and open to interpretation so as not to step on any political toes.
However, Article 30 was included at the very end to put a bit of a limit on things so governments would be held accountable if they took any action that denied basic freedoms to any group of people.
Quote #3
In giving our approval to the Declaration today it is of primary importance that we keep clearly in mind the basic character of the document. It is not a treaty; it is not an international agreement. It is not and does not purport to be a statement of law or of legal obligation. (40-42)
Here's the rub—after all the work that had been put into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it wasn't actually legally binding. Instead, it served "as a common standard of achievement for all peoples of all nations" and provided essentially a how-not-to guide for people who might get any bright, tyrannical ideas.