29 May 1985

23rd plenary meeting

United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons

The Economic and Social Council,

Taking into consideration General Assembly resolutions 37/52 of 3 December 1982, by which the Assembly adopted the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, and 37/53 of 3 December 1982 on the implementation of the World Programme of Action, in which the Assembly proclaimed the period 1983-1992 the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons,

Also taking into consideration Council resolution 1983/19 of 26 May 1983, in which the Council, inter alia, requested the Secretary-General to monitor and support the implementation of the World Programme of Action by enlisting extrabudgetary resources,

Further taking into consideration General Assembly resolution 39/26 of 23 November 1984, in which the Assembly reiterated the need for an effective implementation of the World Programme of Action,

Taking note with appreciation of the reports of the Secretary-General on national experiences in implementing the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and related activities of the United Nations and other international organizations and on the implementation of the World Programme of Action,

Concerned with the necessity of keeping alive the momentum generated by the International Year of Disabled Persons and of observing the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons and using it, in particular, as a time frame for the implementation of the World Programme of Action,

Noting that the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat has been designated, in paragraph 156 of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, as the focal point within the United Nations system for co-ordinating and monitoring the implementation of the World Programme of Action, including its review and appraisal,

Recalling that in paragraph 195 of the World Programme of Action it is stated that the United Nations system should carry out a critical periodic evaluation of progress made in implementing the World Programme of Action and to that end should select appropriate indicators for evaluation in consultation with Member States, and that the Commission for Social Development should play an important role in this respect,

1. Appeals to Member States, the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations to help make the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons more widely known as a time frame for the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and to continue to take action to implement the objectives of the World Programme of Action;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to pursue his efforts, with a view to ensuring optimal utilization of resources in order to give appropriate publicity to the objectives of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons proclaimed by the General Assembly as a long-term plan of action for the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to support, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the World Programme of Action, including its periodic revisions, as a major activity of the programme on disabled persons of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, and to continue to organize on a regular basis, at least once a year, the inter-agency meetings on the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons for co-operation and harmonization of action by the United Nations system in this field;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to enlist and utilize the resources of the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Year of Disabled Persons to meet growing requests for assistance, advisory services and technical co-operation programmes submitted by developing countries and organizations of disabled persons for the implementation of the World Programme of Action;

5. Requests the Secretary-General, in order to facilitate contributions by Governments, to include the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Year of Disabled Persons, on an annual basis, among the programmes for which funds are pledged at the United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to keep the Commission for Social Development informed of progress made in the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the World Programme of Action.