19 November 1981

64th plenary meeting

World Communications Year: Development of Communications Infrastructures

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 32/160 of 19 December 1977 on the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa, in which it requested the Secretary-General, in consultation with the International Telecommunication Union and other specialized agencies concerned, to propose for consideration, as appropriate, one year during the Decade as a World Communications Year, in view of the importance of transport and communications to other regions of the world,

Recalling also its resolution 35/109 of 5 December 1980 on the World Communications Year, by which it endorsed the arrangements made by the Economic and Social Council concerning the Year,

Recalling further Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/60 of 23 July 1981, in which the Council proposed that the year 1983 should be proclaimed World Communications Year: Development of Communications Infrastructures, Taking into account the guidelines for future international years adopted in its decision 35/424 of 5 December 1980,

Having examined the note by the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union concerning the mobilization of voluntary resources for the World Communications Year,

Recognizing the fundamental importance of communications infrastructures as an essential element in the economic and social development of all countries,

Convinced that the World Communications Year will provide the opportunity for all countries to undertake an in-depth review and analysis of their policies on communications development and stimulate the accelerated development of communications infrastructures,

1. Endorses the proposal made by the Economic and Social Council in paragraph 1 of its resolution 1981/60 and proclaims the year 1983 World Communications Year: Development of Communications Infrastructures, with the International Telecommunication Union serving as the lead agency for the Year and having responsibility for co-ordinating the interorganizational aspects of the programmes and activities of other agencies;

2. Requests all States to participate actively in the attainment of the objectives of the World Communications Year;

3. Invites the competent organizations and agencies of the United Nations system to co-operate closely with the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, within their respective terms of reference, for the implementation of the programme for the World Communications Year;

4. Invites non-governmental organizations and users of communications services to participate actively in the World Communications Year and to secure the fullest possible co-ordination of their programmes for the Year, particularly at the national level;

5. Invites Governments and interested organizations to make voluntary contributions to the World Communications Year through the Special Fund for the World Communications Year co-ordinated by the International Telecommunication Union, in order to ensure increased financing of projects at the national, regional and global levels;

6. Appeals to governmental authorities and appropriate organizations to make circuits available for reporting on the activities of the World Communications Year through existing means of information, including radio and television broadcasts, in collaboration with those authorities;

7. Requests the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session, through the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1982, on the state of preparations for the World Communications Year.