| United Nations | A/RES/37/53 |
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
3 December 1982
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
A/RES/37/53
3 December 1982
Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 31/123 of 16 December 1976, by which it
proclaimed the year 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons, 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,
34/158 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", 35/133 of 13 December 1980, 36/77 of 8
December 1981 and 37/52 of 3 December 1982, in which it adopted the World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons,
Recognizing that the International Year of Disabled Persons
contributed to the acceptance by the community 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 their fellow
citizens,
Convinced that the International Year of Disabled Persons gave a
genuine and meaningful impetus to activities related to equalization of
opportunities for disabled persons, as well as prevention and
rehabilitation at all levels,
Expressing its appreciation to the Advisory Committee for the
International Year of Disabled Persons for its work, in particular for
its contribution to the formulation of the World Programme of Action
concerning Disabled Persons,
Expressing its satisfaction with the efforts of Member States during
the International Year of Disabled Persons to improve the conditions and
well-being of disabled persons and their willingness to involve disabled
persons and their organizations in all matters of concern to them,
Also expressing its satisfaction with the initiatives taken by the
specialized agencies and other organs and organizations of the United
Nations system, non-governmental organizations and, in particular,
organizations of disabled persons,
Encouraged by the emergence of organizations of disabled persons in
all parts of the world and their positive influence on the image and
condition of persons with a disability,
Having considered with appreciation the Vienna Affirmative Action
Plan adopted by the World Symposium of Experts on Technical Co-operation
among Developing Countries and Technical Assistance in Disability
Prevention and Rehabilitation, which emphasized that, in developing
countries, efforts to prevent disabilities should be intensified and
standards of rehabilitation for disabled persons should be as high as
possible,
Noting in particular the results of the meetings organized for the
International Year of Disabled Persons by the regional commissions, which
stressed the need for more efficient technical co-operation at the
regional and subregional levels in the training of rehabilitation
personnel, the production of prosthetic appliances and aids using locally
available resources and also stressed the need for an interregional
exchange of experience in the elaboration of national programmes for the
development of such services,
Stressing that the primary responsibility for promoting effective
measures for prevention of disability, rehabilitation and the realization
of the goals of full participation and equality of disabled persons rests
with the individual countries and that in this regard international
co-operation is highly desirable and should be directed to assisting and
supporting national efforts,
Believing that, in addition to national programmes, an effective
implementation of the World Programme of Action would be assisted by
activities at the international level by the organs, organizations and
agencies of the United Nations system, the non-governmental organizations
and the organizations of disabled persons,
Recognizing that such activities will be difficult to finance at the
present time and that every effort must be made to reallocate existing
budgets within the United Nations system,
1. Requests the Secretary-General to assist in the early
implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons by ensuring its wide distribution and promotion;
2. Requests Member States to develop plans related to the
equalization of opportunities for disabled persons, as well as to
prevention and rehabilitation, and thereby ensure early implementation of
the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;
3. Requests all organs, organizations and agencies of the United
Nations system to formulate and undertake measures within their sphere of
competence, through a reallocation of existing resources, to ensure early
implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons and requests, in particular, the regional commissions to
implement suitable programmes, on the understanding that effective
consultation and co-ordination between the various bodies is essential;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to establish interorganizational
task forces as recommended by the Advisory Committee for the
International Year of Disabled Persons at its third and fourth sessions
in order to implement support services, as embodied in paragraph 17 of
General Assembly resolution 36/77, within the existing arrangements for
interagency co-ordination in order to support national and regional
activities in the developing regions in the fields of prevention,
rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities;
5. Encourages the Secretary-General to find the means to provide
the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the
Secretariat with the necessary resources to enable it to ensure follow-up
to the International Year of Disabled Persons and to facilitate the
implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to continue the consultative
services to Member States concerning the design of national programmes
for the prevention of disability, rehabilitation and equalization of
opportunities for disabled persons and to develop a practical check list
dealing with the equalization of opportunities for disabled persons which
could be used by consultants in discussion with Governments of Member
States, and to compile and distribute information on available technical
and financial resources to assist developing countries in the prevention
of disability, rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities;
7. Further requests the Secretary-General to continue to give
appropriate priority to activities within the programmes for disabled
persons with regard to organizations of disabled persons;
8. Again urges all organs, organizations and agencies of the
United Nations system to undertake new measures or expedite those 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, and requests the
Secretary-General to submit a report on these measures to the General
Assembly at its thirty-ninth session;
9. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with
Governments, to examine the need and possibility of continuing the Trust
Fund for the International Year of Disabled Persons for the purpose of
assisting Governments, at their request, in the implementation of the
World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and to submit a
report thereon to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth session;
10. Requests all Governments in a position to do so, the United
Nations Development Programme and all relevant United Nations organs,
organizations and agencies to assist Governments of developing countries,
at their request, in the formulation of national policies and programmes
for disabled persons;
11. Proclaims the period 1983-1992 United Nations Decade of
Disabled Persons as a long-term plan of action, on the understanding that
no additional resources from the United Nations system will be needed for
this purpose, and encourages Member States to utilize this period as one
of the means to implement the World Programme of Action concerning
Disabled Persons;
12. Encourages Governments to proclaim national days for the
disabled;
13. Urges international organizations and funding bodies to give
higher priority to human resources development, in particular to training
activities in the fields of prevention and rehabilitation and to enhance
the equalization of opportunities and the participation of disabled
persons;
14. Requests the organizations of the United Nations system to
recognize the needs of disabled persons in their activities relating to
the International Youth Year and in international and regional congresses
and meetings that they sponsor;
15. Requests the World Health Organization, in the light of the
experience of the International Year of Disabled Persons, to review its
definitions of impairment, disability and handicap in consultation with
organizations of disabled persons and other appropriate bodies;
16. Requests the Secretary-General to explore the possibility of
convening in 1987 a meeting of experts, consisting largely of disabled
persons, to prepare a report that would enable the Secretary-General to
help the General Assembly at its forty-second session to evaluate the
implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons as provided for in paragraph 3 of resolution 37/52;
17. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General
Assembly at its thirty-ninth session on the implementation of the World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons.