Karim Azkoul

Dr Karim Azkoul, PhD (1915-2003) was a Lebanese diplomat and philosopher born in Rashaya, Lebanon on July 15, 1915. His most notable achievements include his participation in the original writing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Azkoul married Eva Corey in 1947. They had a son and a daughter. The son, Jad Azkoul is a world-renowned classical guitarist. Eva and Karim Azkoul both died in 2003, one week apart.

Azkoul's leisures included reading and writing.

Azkoul attended the Jesuit University of St Joseph in Beirut. He later attended the Universities of Paris, Berlin, Bonn and Munich.

Azkoul was a professor of History, Arab and French Literature and Philosophy in various colleges in Lebanon from 1939 to 1946. He was the Director of an Arabic publishing house and monthly Arabic review The Arab World in Beirut from 1943 to 1945.

Karim Azkoul was Lebanon's representative at the United Nations' talks on Human Rights at the time of their establishment.

There, he is known to have worked closely alongside Charles Malik.

He was Rapporteur of the Committee on Genocide in 1948. 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 the 10th of 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. He was photographed shaking hands with Dag Hammarskjöld (then U.N. Secretary General) when receiving his credentials there in 1958.

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.

Azkoul was a journalist from 1966 to 1968 before teaching as Professor of Philosophy at the Beirut College for Women from 1968 to 1972. In 1970 to 1972 he was a Professor of Philosophy at the Lebanese University.

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