Recalling its resolution 31/123 of 16 December 1976, by which it proclaimed the year 1981 International Year for Disabled Persons and decided to devote that year to the realization of a set of objectives, including:

1. Helping disabled persons in their physical and psychological adjustment to society,

2. Promoting all national and international efforts to provide disabled persons with proper assistance, training, care and guidance, to make available to them opportunities for suitable work and to ensure their full integration into society,

3. Encouraging study and research projects designed to facilitate the practical participation of disabled persons in daily life, for example by improving their access to public buildings and transportation systems,

4. Educating and informing the public of the rights of disabled persons to participate in and contribute to various aspects of economic, social and political life,

5. Promoting effective measures for the prevention of disability and for the rehabilitation of disabled persons,

Recalling, in particular, paragraph 4 of its resolution 31/123 in which it requested the Secretary-General to elaborate, in consultation with Member States, the specialized agencies and the organizations concerned, a draft programme for the International Year for Disabled Persons,

Recalling its resolution 31/93 of 14 December 1976 on the medium-term plan, in paragraph 6 of which it urged organs to refrain from undertaking new activities not programmed in the medium-term plan and the subsequent programme budget unless a pressing need of an unforeseeable nature arises as determined by the General Assembly,

Having considered with satisfaction the report of the Secretary-General on the International Year for Disabled Persons/1 and the draft programme for the Year annexed thereto,

1.Approves the proposals of the Secretary-General, contained in his report, for preparatory work for the period 1978-1979;

2.Authorizes the Secretary-General to undertake the measures required to implement these proposals, including the necessary information activities prior to and during the International Year for Disabled Persons;

3.Decides that the International Year for Disabled Persons represents such a pressing need of an unforeseeable nature;

4.Decides to establish an Advisory Committee for the International Year for Disabled Persons, composed of the representatives of fifteen Member States to be appointed, on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, by the Chairman of the Third Committee, in concurrence with the regional groups;/2

5.Decides that the task of the Advisory Committee shall be to consider, and to consult with Member States and specialized agencies on, the draft programme for the International Year for Disabled Persons prepared by the Secretary-General;

6.Requests the Secretary-General to convene the Advisory Committee no later than March 1979 at the Headquarters of the United Nations and to submit the report on that meeting to the General Assembly for consideration at its thirty-fourth session;

7.Appeals to Member States to make in due time generous voluntary contributions for the International Year for Disabled Persons;

8.Encourages Member States and the organizations concerned to take specific action in the preparation of the observance of the International Year for Disabled Persons;

9.Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-fourth session the item entitled "International Year for Disabled Persons".

105th plenary meeting
16 December 1977