2013年12月20日联合国第六十八届会议“ 认识到光和光基技术对世界民众的生活以及全球社会多层面未来发展的重要性；强调指出提高全球对光科学技术的认识和加强这方面的教育，对于发达国家和发展中国家应对可持续发展、能源、社区保健和提高生活质量的挑战至关重要；考虑到光科学技术的应用对现有和未来医药、能源、信息和通信、光纤学、天文学、建筑、考古、娱乐和文化的进步至关重要，考虑到从当前关于确定 2015 年后发展议程的讨论角度看，光基技术提供获取信息的机会，增进社会健康和福祉，直接满足人类需求；又考虑到技术和设计可在提高能效和保护暗色天空以及在减少光污染和能源浪费方面发挥重要作用；注意到 2015年恰值光科学历史上一系列重要的里程碑周年纪念，包括1015年伊本·海赛姆的光学著作、1815年菲涅尔提出的光波概念、1865年马克斯韦尔提出的光电磁传播理论、1905年爱因斯坦的光电效应理论和1915年通过广义相对论将光列为宇宙学的内在要素，以及1965年彭齐亚斯和威尔逊发现宇宙微波背景；考虑到2015年为这些发现举办周年纪念活动将提供一个重要的机会，可突出宣传科学发现在不同领域的连续性，特别强调在青年和妇女、特别是发展中国家的青年和妇女中推广科学教育……。 决定宣布2015年为光和光基技术国际年。”

相关链接：
联合国决议：
http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/68/440/Add.2&referer=http://www.un.org/en/events/observances/years.shtml&Lang=C
联合国教科文组织建议：
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002177/217792c.pdf

欧洲物理学会、国际光学工程学会和美国光学学会的相关报道：
http://www.eps.org/?page=event_iyol
http://spie.org/x105138.xml
http://www.osa.org/en-us/about_osa/global_services/international_year_of_light/

International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015)

The International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies (IYL 2015) is a global initiative that will highlight to the citizens of the world the importance of light and optical technologies in their lives, for their futures, and for the development of society.

The International Year of Light will consist of coordinated activities on national, regional and international levels.

In proclaiming an International Year focusing on the topic of light science and its applications, the United Nations has recognized the importance of raising global awareness of how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health.

Light plays a vital role in our daily lives and is an imperative cross-cutting discipline of science in the 21st century. It has revolutionized medicine, opened up international communication via the Internet, and continues to be central to linking cultural, economic and political aspects of the global society. For centuries light has transcended all boundaries, including geographic, gender, age, culture and race, and is a tremendous subject to motivate education.

The IYOL 2015 resolution was submitted to the United Nations Second Committee on 6 November 2013 by the nation of Mexico, with delegates from both Mexico and New Zealand speaking in support. As Ana María Cetto from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) says: “ Light matters to all of us. It is thanks to light that we know our place in the Universe, and that there is life on Earth. The IYOL will create a forum for scientists, engineers, artists, poets and all others inspired by light to interact both with each other and with the public so as to learn more about the nature of light, its many applications, and to discuss its role in our culture.” The resolution was adopted with co-sponsorship from 35 countries: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and United States of America. This impressive list of co-sponsors reflects the truly international and inclusive nature of the theme of an International Year of Light.

On 20 December 2013, the full United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2015 the International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies.