Declaration of Family Rights

Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948,

Whereas the Declaration on the Rights of the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1959 and the Convention on the Rights Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989,

Whereas the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 1979,

Observing a permanency of the family founded on the universal values of love, solidarity, liberty and responsibility and the diversity of its forms and status,

Willing to contribute for a better taking into account of the rights, functions and responsibilities of families, notably by means of development regarding States, Institutions and International Organizations of a global family, policy, autonomous, adapted and of progress,

Founding itself on its observations and work and drawing inspiration from the conclusions and declarations of its different authorities,

The World Organization of the Family declares:

Article 1º

The Family is the fundamental element of the Society. It is a community of people, of functions, of rights and duties and an educational, cultural, civic, economic and social reality.

A natural framework for the development and well-being of all its members, it is a privileged area of exchanges, communication and solidarity between generations. It must be respected to receive protection and support and to have access to necessary rights and services to exercise entirely its functions and responsibilities.

The unit and natural community of the family must be respected.

Article 2º

Every person has the right to the dignity and respect for his privacy and family life.

To found a family is an essential liberty. This right is independent of philosophical political or religious choices of individuals and States.

" Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality of religion; have the right to marry and of found a family..." (Universal Declaration of the Human Rights, a.16.1).

" Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses". (Universal Declaration of the Human Rights, a.16.2).

In consequence, each one of the spouses must have equal rights.

Article 3º

The parents have the responsibility of deciding the number of children that they wish to bring into the world. States, the guardians of the common goods and individual liberties shall have the duty of create conditions allowing parents to exercise their choices and responsibilities.

Article 4º

The responsibility of bringing up the children falls primarily and jointly on the parents. This solidarity demonstrated in the upkeep and education of the children must work in their interest whatever the conjugal status of the parents and its evolution. A child is not responsible for status of its parents and must not be victim of it.

The parents are the first persons responsible for the education that shall be given to their children. States have the duty to provide educative support and their social and material assistance to the families.

In fact, education is a human right. It is therefore directed to the full development of personalities in respect of differences, and to the strengthening of the respect for the human rights and fundamental freedom. It must promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all the Nations, all the ethnic or religious groups, all families, all individuals.

Article 5º

Motherhood and childhood, before and after birth, have the right to respect, and are entitled to appropriate assistance and protection.

All children, whether born in or out of wedlock shall enjoy the same rights, especially with regard to social protection.

A child has a natural need for a father and a mother. States have the duty to encourage the full exercise of the paternal, maternal and parental responsibilities by legislations and appropriate means.

If the parents judge that the interset of their child needs the permanent presence of one of them near him, the conditions of choice should be facilitated by adequate dispositions.

Legislations, rules and applications relative to the organization of work and time, by means of custody the children, must take into account the necessity, for the parents, of harmonize, in conditions humanly bearable and efficient, the exercise of their activities notably professional with their responsibilities and family pressures.

The international agreements must take into account the child's interests and outside his family.

Article 6º

Each family has the right to have at its disposal economic and social conditions and means - revenues from a professional activity, different financial benefits, and services, - adapted to the reality of situations and needs.

The parents invest part of the resources of the family and part of their time in the upkeep and education of their children. This investment serves in the interest of the children and, because of this, that of Society which, on the other hand, of such a social effort must combine to compensate it.

The economy indicators must integrate the value of the time that the parents devote to the maintenance of their children and their education. The family policy must take this into account.

Article 7º

Owing to the importance of the accommodation of the personal and family life, housing constitutes an essential family right. Because of this, all families, for their plenitude, must have an adapted place for living and the necessary fittings.

Article 8º

The environment is a factor indispensable for the quality of the family lives. It must be, in all forms, the object of adapted policies, notably for its protection and the management of space.

Article 9º

Families must have access to all the means of communication in so far as elements of education, information, culture, development of interpersonal relationships and spare time.

Article 10º

The ethnical consequences of the scientific research of life must be taken into account for their effect on the individual and the family must respect the nature and the rights of one and the other.

Article 11º

Families have the right to join forces to defend their moral and material interests. States have the duty to watch over their permanent representation and to guarantee it. This is the joint interest of families and States.

Article 12º

In order to assume their responsibilities and create conditions of dignity and success of their members, families need Peace. The States, whatever be the conflicts with opposed them, must firstly and always seek, by negotiation, pacific solutions.

The upholding of a just and lasting Peace is linked to the existence of a sustainable development and of an active, economic, social and cultural solidarity between Nations, people and families.

In fact, the universal nature and the dimension of the family find their concretisation in a solidarity which in itself is broadened in its universal dimension : ages, ethnic groups, cultures and Nations. This solidarity involves each generation. It involves: States, Institutions and International Organizations, and the World Family Organization . It also involves each person and each family.