| United Nations | A/RES/36/77 |
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
8 December 1981
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
A/RES/36/77
8 December 1981
International Year of Disabled Persons
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 31/123 of 16 December 1976, by which
it proclaimed the year 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons,
Recallng also its resolutions 32/133 of 16 December 1977, by
which it established the Advisory Committee for the International
Year of Disabled Persons, 33/170 of 20 December 1978, 34/154 of 17
December 1979, in which it, inter alia, decided to expand the theme
of the International Year of Disabled Persons to "Full participation
and equality", and 35/133 of 13 December 1980,
Deeply concerned that no less than five hundred million persons
are estimated to suffer from disability of one form or another, of
whom four hundred million are estimated to be in the developing
countries,
Reiterating the continuing need to promote the realization of
the right of disabled persons to participate fully in the social
life and development of their societies and to enjoy living
conditions equal to those of other citizens, as well as an equal
share in the improvements in living conditions resulting from social
and economic development,
Recognizing the the observance of the International Year of
Disabled Persons has contributed to the attainment of these
objectives,
Recognizing also that a large number of disabled persons are
victims of war and other forms of violence, and that the
International Year of Disabled Persons has contributed towards the
reaffirmation of the need for continued and reinforced co-operation
among nations for world peace,
Believing that the activities undertaken by the international
community in observing the International Year of Disabled Persons
constitute a first essential step towards the achievement of the
objectives of the Year,
Convinced that the timely and significant impetus generated by
the activities of the International Year of Disabled Persons should
be maintained and reinforced with appropriate follow-up action at
all levels,
Taking note of the efforts of Member States during the
International Year of Disabled Persons to improve the conditions and
well-being of the disabled,
Expresses its satisfaction at the convening of the World
Symposium of Experts on Technical Co-operation among Developing
Countries and Technical Assistance in Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation, at Vienna, Austria, from 12 to 23 October 1981,
Expresses also its satisfaction at the convening of the World
Conference on Actions and Strategies for Education, Prevention and
Integration, at Torremolinos, Spain, from 2 to 7 November 1981,
organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization in observance of the Year,
Taking note with appreciation of the progress made in the
elaboration of a World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of resolution 35/133,
Having also considered the report of the Advisory Committee for
the International Year of Disabled Persons on its third session,
1. Expresses its satisfaction to all Member States which
elaborated national policies and programmes for the implementation
of the objectives of the International Year of Disabled Persons;
2. Takes note of the activities undertaken by organizations
of the United Nations system and the relevant non-governmental
organizations in the observance of the International Year of
Disabled Persons;
3. Urges Member States to make every effort to consolidate
and build further on the results of the International Year of
Disabled Persons in order to secure prevention of disabilty,
rehabilitation and full integration of the disabled in the society
and, in this respect, to consider maintaining, where appropriate,
the national committees or similar bodies established for the Year;
4. Again invites Member States to submit national reports
to the Secretary-General on their implementation of the Plan of
Action for the International Year of Disabled Persons and, in
particular, to consider elaborating, on the basis of their
experiences, national long-term programmes of action in the field of
disability;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to convene in 1982 a
meeting of the Advisory Committee of the International Year of
Disabled Persons to finalize the draft World Programme of Action
concerning Disabled Persons, in the light of comments by Member
States, international organizations and relevant non-governmental
organizations, with a view to its adoption by the General Assembly
at its thirty-seventh session;
6. Requests the Advisory Committee to consider at its
fourth session the advisability of proclaiming the period 1983-1992
as the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons and to submit its
views to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session;
7. Requests the Advisory Committee to study the possibility
of creating an optional international identity card for disabled
perons with the purpose of facilitating the international travel of
disabled persons;
8. Urges the Secretary-General to take the necessary
measures to assure the successful follow-up of the International
Year of Disabled Persons, in particular the finalization of the
World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;
9. Also requests the Secretary-General and heads of
specialized agencies and other relevant organizations of the United
Nations system to ensure necessary co-operation and co-ordination of
their activities relating to the disabled;
10. Further requests the regional commissions to give high
priority to the formulation and implementation of regional
programmes related to equalization of opportunities for disabled
persons, as well as prevention and rehabilitation, and urges the
specialized agencies and relevant organs of the United Nations
system to continue the implementation of such programmes;
11. Invites relevant non-governmental organizations to
continue and expand their programmes related to the disabled in
order to maintain the momentum given by the International Year of
Disabled Persons;
12. Welcomes the contributions made by Governments and
private sources to the United Nations Trust Fund for the
International Year of Disabled Persons and appeals for further
voluntary contributions which would facilitate the follow-up of the
Year;
13. Calls upon the Secretary-General to use an appropriate
portion of those voluntary contributions to support and strengthen
activities in the developing countries related to International Year
of Disabled Persons, including the strengthening of organizations of
disabled persons;
14. Urges the Secretary-General, the specialized agencies
and other United Nations bodies and organizations to undertake or
expedite the measures already under way to improve employment
opportunities for disabled persons within these bodies at all levels
and to improve access to their buildings and facilities and to their
information sources;
15. Invites Member States to promote close and effective
co-operation between developed and developing countries through a
transfer of technology and of the results of research and exchanges
of information on the prevention of disability and the
rehabilitation of disabled persons;
16. Also calls upon the Secretary-General and the heads of
the specialized agencies to take all necessary measures to
strengthen and expand technical co-operation activities in
developing countries relating to the disabled, especially in the
areas of prevention of disability, rehabilitation and integration of
disabled in their societies, with particular emphasis on the need to
develop and strengthen indigneous capacities and capabilities;
17. Stresses the importance of strengthening support
services for the exchange of technical information and transfer of
technology and know how, as well as other activities for the
development of technical co-operation in the fields of prevention,
rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities in developing
countries, and notes with appreciation the offer of the Government
of Yugoslavia to contribute in this direction;
18. Invites, as a matter of priority, Member States,
organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, as well as
governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned and mass
media, to continue to undertake public information programmes,
including the continuation of the present information activities of
the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs for the
national committees, with a view to making all sections of the
population increasingly aware of issues relating to the disabled;
19. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its
thirty-seventh session an item entitled "World Programme of Action
concerning Disabled Persons" and requests the Secretary-General to
report to the General Assembly at that session on the implementation
of the present resolution.