47/237. International Year of the Family
The General Assembly,
Reaffirming its resolutions 44/82 of 8 December 1989, 45/133 of 14 December 1990 and 46/92 of 16 December 1991 conceming the Intemational Year of the Family, as expressions of the determination of the peoples of the United Nations to promote social progress and better standard s of life in larger freedom,
Recalling that major United Nations instruments on human rights and social policy, as well as relevant global plans and programmes of action, caIl for the widest possible protection and assistance to be accorded to the family,
Convinced that equality between the sexes, women's equal participation in employment and shared parental responsibility are essential elements of modero family policy,
Conscious of the existence of various concepts of the family in different social, cultural and political systems, Aware, at the same time, that families are the fuIlest reflection, at the grass-roots level, ofthe strengths and weaknesses of the social and developmental welfare environment, and as such offer a uniquely comprehensive and synthesizing approach to social issues,
Realizing that families, as basic units of social life, are major agents of sustainable development at alllevels of society and that their contribution to that process is crucial for its success,
Stressing that the observance of the Year in 1994 will immediately precede the celebration by the family of nations of the historie fiftieth anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General, submitted to the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-third session, on the state of preparations for the Year,
1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the state of preparations for the International Year of the Family;"
2. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General 'for a well-coordinated and impressive effort in the preliminary and preparatory phases to the Year, despite resource constraints, and for the considerable progress made towards its observance;
3. Notes with satisfaction that the Year has gained increasing support at all levels and that the preparatory process has enhanced and strengthened the substantive orientation of the Year;
4. Commends all Governments, specialized agencies, regional commissions and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations which have undertaken special efforts to prepare for the observance of the Year;
5. Urges Governments, specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, especially those which have not yet done so, to intensify the efforts undertaken, inter alía, by the identification of national coordinating mechanisms and the elaboration of national programmes of action, in the preparations for and observance of the Year;
6. Welcomes the holding in 1993 of four regional and interregional preparatory meetings for the Year, organized by the secretariat for the Year in the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the Secretariat, in close cooperation with the regional commissions, and hosted by the Governments of China, Colombia, Malta and Tunisia;
7. Takes note with interest of the proposal by the Government of Slovakia that the Bratislava Intemational Centre of Family Studies be affiliated with the United Nations;"
8. Also takes note with interest of the results of the Expert Group Meeting on the Social Consequences of Population Growth and Changing Social Conditions, with Particular Emphasis on the Family," co-sponsored by the Govemment of Germany and held at Vienna from 21 to 25 September 1992; .
9. Also welcomes the active involvement of non-govemmental organizations in the preparatory process for the Year, including the major global initiative to con¬vene a world non-governmental organization forum entitled "Launching the International Year of the Family, 1994: Strengthening Families for the Well-being of Individuals and Societies", to be held at Valletta from 28 November to 2 December 1993, and calls upon all those concerned to support the event in every possible manner;
10. Expresses its special gratitude to Govemments and other donors, especially those in the private sector, which have generously responded to earlier appeals to contribute resources to the Voluntary Fund for the Intemational Year of the Family;
11. Appeals to all Governments concemed and aIl other prospective donors to pledge their contributions to the Voluntary Fund, notably during the pledging segments of the regional and interregional preparatory meetings in 1993, with a view lo releasing new funds for specific family-oriented projects, particularly in developing countries, during both the Year and the follow-up thereto;
12. Invites policy-making organs of specialized agencies and other bodies in the United Nations system to consider, in the context oftheir substantive mandates, the principies and objectives of the Year and follow-up action to the Year for the benefit of the families of the world;
13. Also invites organizations and specialized agencies of the United Nations system to include in their programme budgets for 1994 and 1995, as appropriate, programme elements for the observance of and follow-up to the Year
14. Decides to devote one ofits plenary meetings at its forty-eighth session, in early December 1993, to launching the International Year of the Family;
15. Also decides that, beginning in 1994, 15 May of every year shall be observed as the International Day of Families;
16. Requests the Commission on Human Rights, the Population Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women to include in the agendas of their sessions in 1993 or 1994 consideration ofthe principies and objectives of the Year in the context of their major areas of concern, and to propose specific follow-up measures regarding human rights, population issues and the advancement of women as each afTects or is afTected by families, including family-oriented components of the World Conference on Human Rights, held at Vienna from 14 to 25 June 1993. the Intemational Conference on Population and Development, to be held at Cairo from 5 to 13 September 1994, the World Summit for Social Development, to be held at Copenhagen on 11 and 12 March 1995, and the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, to be held at Beijing from 4 lo 15 September 1995;
17. Further decides to devote two plenary meetings at its forty-nineth session, in 1994, to the implementation of the follow-up to the Year, and to designate those meetings as an intemational conference on families, which should take place at an appropriate global policy-making level and in keeping with the procedures and practices ofthe General Assembly;
18. Appeals to Member States as well as lo all other participants in the observance of the Year lo highlight 1994 as a special occasion to benefit families of the world in their quest for a better life for all, based on the principle of subsidiarity, which seeks solutions to problems at the lowest level of the societal structure;
19. Calls for a eoncerted promotional and information campaign on behalf of the Year at the national, regional and international levels, with the strong participation ofthe mass media;
20. Requests the Secretary-General:
(a) To seek the views of States members of the Commission for Social Development on the desirability of working out a declaration on the role, responsibilities and rights of families on the occasion of the Year;
(b) To plan adequate resources, including staff, through redeployment in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1994-1995, with a view to ensuring effective observance ofand follow-up to the Year, commensurate with its important principles and objectives;
(c) To continue taking specific measures, through all the communication media at his disposal, particularly within the mandates of the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat, to give widespread publicity to the preparations for and observance of the Year, and to increase the dissemination of information on the subject;
(d) To report on the observance ofthe Year at the national, regional and intemationallevels, and to submit specific proposals on the follow-up to the Year, inc1uding a draft plan of action, if deemed appropriate, to the Assembly at its fiftieth session;
21. Decides to consider the question of the Intemational Year of the Family at its fiftieth session, on the basis of a report of the Secretary-General under the item entitled "Social development".
112th plenary meeting
20 September 1993
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES 15 May 2009
This year’s International Day of Families, being commemorated under the theme, “Mothers and Families: Challenges in a Changing World,” focuses on the important role of mothers for families and communities around the world.
Mothers play a critical role in the family, which is a powerful force for social cohesion and integration. The mother-child relationship is vital for the healthy development of children. And mothers are not only caregivers; they are also breadwinners for their families. Yet women continue to face major – and even lifethreatening – challenges in motherhood.
Childbirth, which should be a cause for celebration, is a grave health risk for too many women in developing countries. Improving maternal health is the Millennium Development Goal on which the least progress has been made. A woman in a leastdeveloped country is 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than a woman in a developed country. We must make pregnancy and childbirth safer by enabling health systems to provide family planning, skilled attendance at birth and emergency obstetric care.
Violence against women, many of whom are mothers, remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations of our time. It has far-reaching consequences – endangering the lives of women and girls, harming their families and communities, and damaging the very fabric of societies. Ending and preventing violence against women should be a key priority for all countries.
We must also ensure universal access to education. The benefits of educating women and girls accrue not only to individual families but to whole countries, unlocking the potential of women to contribute to broader development efforts. Statistics also show that educated mothers are much more likely to keep their children in school, meaning that the benefits of education transcend generations.
As we strive to support mothers in their caregiving work, we should develop and expand family-friendly policies and services, such as child care centres, that would reduce some of the workload placed on women. Women and men alike need stronger public support to share equally in work and family responsibilities. Families built on the recognition of equality between women and men will contribute to more stable and productive societies.
We face multiple challenges in our changing world, but one factor remains constant: the timeless importance of mothers and their invaluable contribution to raising the next generation. By rewarding their efforts and enhancing their living conditions, we can secure a better future for all.
Sources:
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/018/73/IMG/NR001873.pdf?OpenElement
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/idf/2009/sgmessage09eng.pdf