2024 Theme: Families and Climate Change
Climate change negatively impacts the health and well-being of families through increased pollution, while extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, such as hurricanes, droughts and floods, often lead to forced displacement and loss of livelihoods for families and individuals. Such events impact agricultural productivity and access to water, intensifying hunger and vulnerability. They cause economic disruption in industries sensitive to climate impacts such as agriculture and fisheries.
Without drastic action, adaptation to and mitigation of the impacts of climate change will become increasingly difficult and costly.
Empowering families through education, changing consumption habits, and advocacy is critical for meaningful and effective climate action. Families pass values across generations, so instilling sustainable habits and climate awareness in families from an early age is important. Integrating circular economy principles into early childhood education can help build a sustainable economic model based on minimizing waste and regenerating natural resources. Families as consumers and advocates can drive the transition to a circular economy.
The 2024 International Day of Families aims to raise awareness of how climate change impacts families and the role families can play in climate action. Through family and community initiatives, we can foster climate action with education, access to information, training and community participation.
30 Years Since the International Year of the Family
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family. The observance event will feature presentations on the outcomes of major regional IYF+30 preparatory activities, civil society initiatives, recommendations on family policies for climate action, and an interactive discussion. Additionally, two publications titled “Climate Change and Families” and “Home, Family, and Climate Change” will be unveiled during the event.
Background
During the 1980’s, the United Nations began focusing attention on issues related to the family. In 1983, based on the recommendations of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission for Social Development in its resolution on the Role of the family in the development process (1983/23) requested the Secretary-General to enhance awareness among decision makers and the public of the problems and needs of the family, as well as of effective ways of meeting those needs.
In its resolution 1985/29 of 29 May 1985, the Council invited the General Assembly to consider the possibility of including in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session an item entitled “Families in the development process”, with a view to consider a request to the Secretary-General to initiate a process of development of global awareness of the issues involved, directed towards Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and public opinion.
Later, based on the recommendations of the Commission for Social Development, formulated in its 30th round of sessions, The Assembly invited all States to make their views known concerning the possible proclamation of an international year of the family and to offer their comments and proposals.
The Council also requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-third session a comprehensive report, based on the comments and proposals of Member States on the possible proclamation of such a year and other ways and means to improve the position and well-being of the family and intensify international co-operation as part of global efforts to advance social progress and development.
In its resolution 44/82 of 9 December 1989, The General Assembly proclaimed The International Year of the Family.
In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution (A/RES/47/237) that 15 May of every year should be observed as The International Day of Families. This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.
On 25 September 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 goals aiming to eliminate poverty, discrimination, abuse and preventable deaths, address environmental destruction, and usher in an era of development for all people, everywhere. Families and family-oriented policies and programmes are vital for the achievement of many of these goals.
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