World campaign for universal literacy

XX. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE
2043. World campaign for universal literacy

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 1677 (XVI) of 18 December 1961 and 1937 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963 on the question of the eradication of illiteracy, Taking note of:

(a) The resolutions adopted in 1964 by the regional economic commissions, Economic and Social Council resolution 1032 (XXXVII) of 14 August 1964 and resolution 1.271 adopted on 19 November 1964 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at its thirteenth session,

(b) The report submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly at its nineteenth session[1] and the note by the Secretary-General on the world campaign for universal literacy submitted to the Assembly at its twentieth session,[2] as well as the particularly encouraging report submitted by the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the action taken by that organization, [3]

Having received with appreciation the noble and generous message on this question addressed to the General Assembly by His Imperial Majesty the Shahinshah of Iran,[4] Taking note of:

(a) Recommendation No. 58 to the Ministries of Education concerning literacy and adult education,[5] approved by the International Conference on Public Education at its twenty-eighth session, held at Geneva in July 1965,

(b) The conclusions and recommendations approved by the World Congress of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy,[6] convened by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and held at Teheran from 8 to 19 September 1965, and in particular the resolutions on the mobilization of human and material resources,

1. Declares that illiteracy is a world problem which concerns all mankind;

2. Affirms that literacy is an essential factor in economic, social and cultural development;

3. Considers that the time has come for all Member States to make vigorous and systematic efforts, as soon as possible, to eradicate illiteracy throughout the world;

4. Invites countries where illiteracy is a major problem to give due priority to literacy in their development policy and programmes and, in accordance with this priority, to mobilize the material, financial and human resources available, whether governmental or non-governmental;

5. Invites the countries which have achieved the best results in the campaign against illiteracy in their territory to take adequate account, in their programmes of bilateral co-operation, of the priority that the countries receiving these programmes have decided to give to literacy in their development plans;

6. Invites those States Members of the United Nations and members of the specialized agencies which employ illiterate foreign workers to organize or develop literacy courses for them with a view to promoting the vocational training and social advancement of those workers residing in their territory;

7. Invites Governments to consider the possibility of increasing, at both the national and the international level, the resources allocated to literacy programmes by having recourse to various sources;

8. Welcomes the literacy programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and invites the other competent specialized agencies, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as the Special Fund, the Technical Assistance Board, and governmental and non-governmental international and regional organizations, to combine their efforts with those of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in putting into effect literacy programmes closely integrated with development programmes;

9. Requests the Economic and Social Council and the regional economic commissions to study, within the framework of the United Nations Development Decade, the most appropriate measures for promoting the effective integration of literacy in development;

10. Instructs the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to report to the General Assembly in due course on the progress achieved in the implementation of the present resolution.

1391st plenary meeting,
8 December 1965.

---

[1] Ibid., agenda item 47, document A/5830. [2] A/6048. [3] A/C.2/L.807. For summary, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Twentieth Session, Second Committee, 980th meeting, paras. 2-8 [4] Official Records of the General Assembly, Twentieth Session, Annexes, agenda item 47, document A/6024. [5] A/6048, annex I. For the printed text, see United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Congress of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy, Teheran, 8 to 19 September 1965, Literacy and Adult Education (Paris, 1965). [6] A/6048, annex II. For the printed text, see United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Congress of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy, Teheran, 8 to 19 September 1965, Final Report (UNESCO/ ED/217).