World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day annually on April 2, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about autistic individuals throughout the world. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/RES/62/139). passed in council on November 1, 2007, and adopted on December 18, 2007. It was proposed by Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, the United Nations Representative from Qatar, and supported by all member states.ThQis resolution was passed and adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to previous UN initiatives to improve human rights.World Autism Day is one of only seven official health-specific UN Days.
The terms “Autism Awareness Day” and “Autism Awareness Month” are often contested by autism rights advocates, who claim that they feed into perceived ableism against autistic people. Such groups, including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, advocate using the term “Autism Acceptance day” as an alternative for both events under the belief that it promotes overcoming anti-autism prejudice rather than simply increasing awareness of autism.
The establishment of the second day of April as World Autism Awareness Day, beginning in 2008-invitation to Member States and other relevant organizations to the UN or the international societal system, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to create initiatives to raise public awareness ofAutism encourages Member States to raise awareness of autism on all levels in society asks the UN Secretary-General to deliver this message to member states and all other UN organizations.Agency
