The
theme for this year’s International Day of Families, “Changing
Families: Challenges and Opportunities”, highlights the
profound transformations which this basic unit of society has
been undergoing in recent years. The average family size has
decreased all over the world; young people are getting married
at a later age; the average age of mothers at first birth has
increased; infant mortality rates have declined; and couples
are having fewer children. The traditional, extended family
is being replaced by the nuclear family, even as grandparents
are living longer and several family generations are living
side by side. Alternative forms of union have grown more common,
such as unmarried cohabitation, or marriages of migrant workers
not living in the same city or country as their spouses. Divorce
has increased, accompanied by remarriage, with more and more
children living in a family with a step-parent. Significant
numbers of both single-parent families and single-person households
have emerged, including a rising number of older persons living
alone. And the HIV/AIDS pandemic is wreaking havoc on families,
often depriving children of their parents, leaving grandparents
to care for children.
Many of these transformations call into question the structure
of society as we know it. They require us to work together to
adapt, to shape public policy in a way that addresses the needs
of families, to ensure that basic services such as education
and health are provided to all citizens -- especially children
-- irrespective of their family situation.
Some of the changes in family structure have also brought new
opportunities, such as new and wider options for girls and women.
They have provided impetus for Governments to develop new policies
in collaboration with civil society. And as countries work to
integrate a family perspective into national policy-making,
the United Nations system is striving to reflect this perspective
in the global intergovernmental process.
During this time of ongoing change, we need to build an environment
that sustains and supports families, while reinforcing the opportunities
for fulfilment that a positive family life provides. On this
International Day, let us rededicate ourselves to that mission.
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Kofi
Annan
UN Secretary-General |
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