[Video message]
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to address you at the opening of the Asian Family Summit, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family.
I wish to thank the organizers for convening this important event.
Allow me to make special mention of the Consortium of Institutes on Family in the Asian Region, for their support to the preparations for and observance of this year¡¯s 30th anniversary commemoration.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Families can enrich our lives by providing long-lasting social bonds and promoting the well-being of individuals. They can be a good example of how to share resources within and across generations and sustain a system of mutual care and support.
But like many aspects of our social fabric, families are being affected by current global mega-trends.
Technological change, urbanization, migration, demographic shifts and climate change are all strongly impacting families.
I am happy to see that a key objective of this Summit is to assess the impact of these trends on families in Asia and identify opportunities to strengthen families and their contribution to development.
Our work in UN DESA has explored these impacts and possibilities to help guide the future development of family policies. Allow me to share a few recommendations.
First, we must address the challenge of technological change from a family perspective.
This means supporting improved technological skills across the life course. We must invest in continuing education so that parents and caregivers can guide children in using new technologies and navigating the social challenges that they can present. At the same time, we should encourage responsible use of social media to promote inclusive societies and resilient families.
Second, with rapid urbanization, it is important to ensure that cities are family-friendly spaces.
Cities must be inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This requires well-managed urban planning, with effective coordination across all levels of government, long-term public-private partnerships, and inclusive participatory design and implementation.
Third, we must address the profound impact of migration on families.
Migration policies that facilitate family reunification and that promote the social integration of migrants into host societies are indispensable for social cohesion.
Fourth, faced with demographic shifts and rapid ageing, we need to innovate ways to strengthen relationships and understanding across generations.
Intergenerational shared programmes, where services are delivered to young people and older adults in the same building or community centre, present a promising way forward. Such programmes allow generations to interact, reduce social isolation and create cost-efficiencies through shared resources.
Finally, it is important to engage families in addressing the growing climate catastrophe. Families are consumers, educators and advocates. Their choices are critical for fostering environmentally conscious and responsible behaviours.
The International Year of the Family and its follow-up process have catalysed action at all levels to help strengthen families and their contribution to development.
By focusing on families, we can achieve better outcomes for children, break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, and promote gender equality.
As Member States begin preparations for the Second World Summit for Social Development, they must keep the role of the family in clear view. Effective family policies must form a critical part of a people-centred plan for accelerating achievement of the SDGs.
Before I conclude, I would like to congratulate all stakeholders for their success in advancing family well-being in Asia and beyond. I am confident that your experience and leadership will contribute to greater awareness of the importance of a family perspective for achieving sustainable development.
I wish you a successful Summit.
Thank you!