General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

4 December 1981

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                A/RES/36/71
                                                4 December 1981
 
          International Year of Shelter for the Homeless
 
               The General Assembly,
 
               Recalling its resolution 35/76 of 5 December 1980, in which it
          expressed the view that an international year devoted to the
          problems of homeless people in urban and rural areas of the
          developing countries would be an appropriate occasion to focus the
          attention of the international community on those problems,
 
               Recognizing the grave and generally worsening situation of the
          homeless in the developing countries,
 
               Emphasizing that the building, improvement and maintenance of
          shelter, related physical infrastructure and social facilities can
          contribute significantly to national development,
 
               Convinced of the imperative need to mobilize effectively the
          considerable skill and resources that the homeless themselves
          possess for building, improving and maintaining their own shelter
          and neighbourhoods,
 
               Also convinced that, because of their complexity and magnitude,
          the problems of the homeless require co-ordinated and concerted
          action at all levels,
 
               Confident that an international year of shelter for the
          homeless could serve as a means of increasing public awareness at
          the local, national, regional and global levels and set in motion a
          process which would lead to significant improvement in the situation
          of the homeless,
 
               Considering that human settlements activities constitute an
          important policy measure for the attainment of the goals and
          objectives of the International Development Strategy for the Third
          United Nations Development Decade, adopted by the General Assembly
          in its resolution 35/56 of 5 December 1980,
 
               Noting with satisfaction the follow-up action so far taken by
          Member States on the implementation of the recommendations of
          Habitat:  United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, and the
          support being provided by the United Nations Centre for Human
          Settlements (Habitat) to developing countries to facilitate that
          action,
 
               Recalling in that connexion its decision 35/424 of 5 December
          1980 and Economic and Social Council resolution 1980/67 of 25 July
          1980 on the question of international years and anniversaries,
 
               Taking note of Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/69 B
          of 24 July 1981 on the proposal to declare an international year of
          shelter for the homeless,
 
               1.     Decides, in principle, to designate 1987 as the
          International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, on the understanding
          that the criteria for financing and organizing international years
          set out in Economic and Social Council resolution 1980/67 are
          complied with;
 
               2.     Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations
          Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) to prepare a proposal
          containing a specific programme of measures and activities to be
          undertaken prior to and during the International Year of Shelter for
          the Homeless and to report to the Economic and Social Council
          through the Commission on Human Settlements;
 
               3.     Requests the Secretary-General to prepare, on the basis
          of the above-mentioned proposal, a report on the organizational
          matters regarding the holding of the International Year of Shelter
          for the Homeless in 1987, including the availability of voluntary
          funds, to be submitted to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh
          session through the Economic and Social Council during 1982;
 
               4.     Appeals to all States, intergovernmental and
          non-governmental organizations and the public at large to indicate
          appropriate support for the International Year of Shelter for the
          Homeless.