CM/Res. 920 (XXXVIII) RESOLUTION ON DISABLED PERSONS IN AFRICA
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its 38th
Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 22 to 28 February 1982,
Having considered the progress report of the Secretary-General on the activities carried out during the International Year of the Disabled Persons (IYDP 1981), vide document CM/1173 (XXXVIII),
Recalling its various resolutions on IYDP, especially resolution CM/Res. 875
(XXXVII) in which an appeal was made to the UNDP, other international agencies and humanitarian organizations to assist financially towards the establishment of the Regional African Institute for Disabled Persons and the strengthening of regional centers:
CONGRATULATES the General Secretariat for the commendable report and for the activities it has undertaken within the framework of the IYDP;
REITERATES its call for financial assistance towards the creation of the Institute and the selection of the centres to service the five regions of the OAU;
AUTHORIZES the Secretary-General of the OAU to continue carrying out negotiations with funding organizations and other international financiers with a view to having them pledge the necessary funds for the Institute’s and selected centres’ programmes and their operations;
REQUESTS the Secretary-General of the OAU to organize a Meeting of Experts in which disabled persons and women will be associated in defining a programme of action in the light of the decisions taken during the IYDP.
CALLS UPON African States, members of the OAU, who have the necessary industrial capacity and technological know-how to co-ordinate through consultation and exchange of information in the production of the needed supportive aids for the disabled, by using indegineous materials;
CALLS UPON all OAU Member States to render all the necessary support to the establishment of the Institute and to participate fully in the activities of the selected centers by sending experts to train or be further trained;
CALLS UPON the Secretary-General to submit a draft agreement of co- operation on the Institute to Member States for comments and to the Council for approval so that the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the ILO can sign it;
FURTHER APPEALS to all Member States to carry out programmes in favor of the disabled persons:
CONGRATULATES those Member States who have decided to carry out effective programmes for the disabled on a long-term basis;
EXPRESSES satisfaction with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution NO In this respect, the Council
strongly supports the creation of a Fund for the Disabled Persons;
REQUESTS Member States to strongly support the adoption, by the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly, of a “Decade for the Disabled”; and, in order to achieve this, further requests Member States to deploy every effort in this respect.