The UN’s Programme on the Families is preparing for the observance of the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014. Three major themes have been chosen:

• Confronting family poverty and social exclusion
• Ensuring work-family balance
• Advancing social integration and intergenerational solidarity within families and communities

Several Regional meetings have been planned, focusing on these themes as well as activities at international and national levels. For more details please access this web page; http://www.family2014.org.

 

In Nairobi, Kenya, Strathmore University Law School in conjunction with the Voice of the Family in Africa, International will be hosting the Africa Preparatory Conference from Thursday, 23 to Friday, 24 January 2014. The Conference is in Preparation for the United Nations 20^th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family. The conference will bring together policy makers, scholars and civil society organisations to present research papers and good practice.

 

The 20^th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family offers an opportunity to refocus on the role of families in development; take stock of recent trends in family policy development; share good practices in family policy making; review challenges faced by families worldwide and recommend solutions.

 

Renata Kaczmarska-Photakis Focal Point, UN Programme on the Family Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

 

The primary activities of the Focal Point on the Family  are to; provide substantive servicing in the areas of family and family policy to United Nations intergovernmental bodies, particularly the General Assembly, Commission for Social Development and the Economic and Social Council;  promote the realization of the objectives of the International Year of the Family;  promote the integration of a family perspective into policy-making at the national, regional and international levels; exchange expertise and experiences, disseminate information and support networking on family issues; support family research and diagnostic studies; encourage and support coordination on family policies and programmes within national governments and within the United Nations system; provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to developing country Governments, at their request, in the area of the family; and liaise and dialogue with Governments, civil society and the private sector on family issues.

Ignacio Socíasis Director General of The International Institute for Family Research – The Family Watch, a think tank committed to researching the family and finding solutions to the problems it faces.

 

He is also Director of Communication and International Relations of the International Federation for Family Development, an umbrella organization for Family Enrichment Programs that currently operate in 65 countries on the five continents, directly benefit over 50,000 people annually and has been granted General Consultative Status in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Since 2010, IFFD is also a member of the Advisory Panel of the Fundamental Rights Platform of the European Union.

Partners