International Year of the Family – 20th Anniversary – DECLARATION

 An initiative of
International Federation for Family Development
co-sponsored by
Make Mothers Matter International
World Family Organization
Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development
World Youth Alliance
Home Renaissance Foundation
World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations
Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe
European Federation of Parents and Carers at Home
European Large Families Confederation
European Christian Political Foundation
New Women for Europe
Forum Européen des Femmes
European local inclusion and social action network (ELISAN)
CARE for Europe
Veneto Region
 
The following national
organizations have also joined the above Declaration (as of 1st March 2013):
 
Asociación Familias Formando Familias (Argentina)
Asociación Mundial para la Familia y la Educación (Uruguay)
Aspof – Asociación para la orientación familiar (Costa Rica)
ASPOF (Costa Rica)
Association Camerounaise pour le Developpement de la Fami-lle (Cameroon)
Association pour la Famille (Congo)
BeFamily (Portugal)
Caribbean Institute for Family Development (Trinidad Tobago)
Cenofa – Centro de Orientaçao Familiar (Portugal)
Corporación de Desarrollo Educativo y Familiar (Puerto Rico)
Családképzö Fórum Egyesület (Hungary)
Educhild (Philippines)
Familias Formando Familias (Argentina)
Familias Formando Familias (Bolivia)
Famille & Education Suisse Romande (Switzerland)
Famille et Education (Ivory Coast)
Family Development Foundation (United Kingdom)
Family Enrichment Canada
Family Enrichment Uganda (Uganda)
Family Enrichment USA (United States)
Family First Foundation (China – Hong-Kong)
Famof – Familias que ayudan a otras Familias (Colombia)
Farmilia – Instituto de Ciencias del Matrimonio (Peru)
FEA – Family Education Australia (Australia)
FEN – Family Enrichment Netherlands (Netherland)
FERT (Spain)
FES – Family Enrichment Society (Singapur)
Foro Español de la Familia (Spain)
Fórum krestanských inštitúcií (Slovakia)
Fundación Excelencia Educativa (Panama)
Fundación Hacer Familia (Chile)
Fundación ICEF (El Salvador)
Fundación Masfamilia (Spain)
Fundación para la Familia (Honduras)
Gesellschaft Für Familienorientierung (Austria)
Haro (Sweden)
Hazte Oír (Spain)
IDF – Instituut Van De Familie / Institut de la Famille Asbl (Belgium)
IEB – Institut Für Elternbildung (Germany)
Instituto Brasileiro da Família (Brazil)
Instituto de Matrimonio y Familia (Ecuador)
Instituto de Política Familiar (Spain)
Instytut Edukacji I Rodziny (Poland)
IPEF – Institut pour l’éducation dans la famille (France)
Jafda – Japan Family Development Association (Japan)
Klub mnohodetných rodín (Slovakia)
LAR (Mexico)
Leader 100 (Poland)
Nigerian Association for Family Development
Obiteljsko Obogacivanje (Croacia)
Observadores Ciudadanos de la Familia A. C. (Mexico)
Pan-Hellenic Union of Association Families with 3C (Greece)
Profamilia (Czech Republic)
Profesionales por la ética (Spain)
Program for Family Development (Kenya)
Raíces – Centro de Orientación Familiar (Peru)
Rural Reconstruction Foundation (Bangla Desh)
Saif (South Africa)
Seimu Universitetas (Lithuania)
Service and Research Institute on Family and Children (India)
Sistema Famiglia: C. P. dei Centri di Orientamento Familiare (Italy)
Voice of the Family in Africa (Kenya)
Women’s Board (Nigeria)
World Organization of Prenatal Education Associations
Zdruzenie Pre Rozvoj Rodiny (Slovakia)
 
We propose this Declaration of the Civil Society in which the basic
contents of UN resolutions about the International Year of the Family are
included, as well as the main recommendations of different Expert Group
Meetings, particularly the European one organized in Brussels. We aim to
enroll as many politicians, academics and representatives of NGOs in every
country as we can, so that we can present it together with the rest of
international organizations in the Commission for Social Development to be
celebrated in February 2014. We also hope that its contents can become a part
for the contents of a resolution by the UN General Assembly on the occasion
of this anniversary.
 

The representatives of the civil society organizations,
academics and policy makers named below,
 
Acknowledging
the right to found a family, as described by the art. 16 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,
 
Recognizing
that, as basic and essential building blocks of societies, families have a
crucial role in social development, bear the primary responsibility for the
nurturing, protection, education and socialization of children, as well as
instilling values of citizenship and belonging in the society, and provide
material and non-material care and support to its members, from children to
older persons or those suffering from illness, sheltering them from hardship
to the maximum possible extent, [1]  
Recalling that
this social protection function performed by families is especially important
in times of increased uncertainty and vulnerability, when families find it
more and more difficult to fulfil these multiple roles and tackle all
responsibilities entrusted to them, [2]  
Emphasizing
that family-focused policies have proven both valuable and efficient in many
areas of social development, and that the very achievement of Millennium
Development Goals depends on how well families are empowered to contribute to
it, [3]  
Expressing the
will to work closely with the United Nations Department of Economic and
Social Affairs in a coordinated manner on family-related issues, including
the preparations for the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of
the Family. [4]  
1. Welcome the
call made by United Nations to celebrate the forthcoming twentieth
anniversary, in 2014, of the International Year of the Family, noting the
opportunity it provides to revisit family-oriented policies as part of
overall development efforts, [5] supporting its objective to aim at
responding to challenges faced by families and continuing to guide national
efforts that benefit families worldwide [6] and to integrate a family perspective
[7] by introducing a family impact report or assessment as a standing and
compulsory part of policymaking;
 
2. Urge Member
States to enhance and strengthen family mainstreaming in policy making at all
levels, considering the impacts of socio-economic policies on families; to
develop, promote and implement family-friendly policies aimed at providing
sustainable, affordable and quality living conditions for families; and to
empower families and recognize their role in social cohesion and economic development;
[8]  
3. Invite
Member States to recognize the right of families to sufficient resources and
social assistance and the right to live in a manner compatible with human
dignity, recalling that this is a common vital issue for single-parent, large
and immigrant families; to develop, promote and implement policies aimed at
ending child poverty through the eradication of family poverty, and encourage
social, economic and educational policies to prevent intergenerational
transmission of poverty; and to promote the provision of integrated services
for families and family-friendly taxation policies and practices, including
reduced taxes on goods and services for early childhood products and
services; [9]  
4. Request
Member States to recognize and communicate the value of balancing family and
work in the economy and in society; to develop, provide and communicate
comprehensive well-resourced and flexible parental leave entitlements, to
promote skill development and learning systems throughout the life course of
the family and in periods of transition, to facilitate parents’ re-entering
the labor market, and to enhance dialogue and partnerships between social
policy makers and relevant stakeholders, including families, family
associations, business sector, trade unions and employers to develop and
improve family-friendly policies and practices in the workplace; [10]  
5. Encourage
Member States to facilitate intergenerational solidarity, quality couple and
family relationships, parenting programmes; high-quality childcare and other
ancillary services which support families; promote and develop active
measures to support the psychological well-being of children and youth with
sensitivity to family situations; prevent violence, addictions and juvenile
delinquency; and promote school to work transitions and young adults’
economic security to facilitate family formation and stability, particularly
among those with insecure socio-economic resources; as well as to promote and
develop public policies concerning the support to the elder members of the
family, especially in situations of particular need such as cases of
Alzheimer or similar diseases.
 
[1] Cfr. Report of the Secretary-General on the Follow-up to the tenth
anniversary of the International Year of the Family and beyond, 29 November
2010, A/66/62-E/2011/4, n. 3. Cfr. Resolution on Preparations for and
observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the
Family, 28 November 2012, A/C.3/67/L.12/Rev.1.
[2] Ibidem, n. 4.
[3] Ibidem, n. 10.
[4] Cfr. ECOSOC Resolution on the Preparations for and observance of the
twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, 30 August
2012, E/RES/2012/10.
[5] Cfr. Report of the Secretary-General on the Preparations for and
observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the
Family in 2014, 11 November 2011, A/67/61-E/2012/3, n. 57.
[6] Ibidem, n. 4.
[7] Cfr. Resolution on Preparations for and observance of the twentieth
anniversary of the International Year of the Family, 28 November 2012,
A/C.3/67/L.12/Rev.1., n. 1.
[8] Cfr. European Expert Group Meeting ‘Confronting family poverty and social
exclusion; ensuring work-family balance; advancing social integration and
intergenerational solidarity in Europe’ (Brussels, 6 – 8 June 2012), Recommendations for relevant
stakeholders.
[9] Ibidem.
[10] Ibidem.