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.