Dear
Members, Friends and Visitors,
Happy
2005!
WFO Executive Board and Team wishes success and
prosperity to all our Members.
I
must admit that I have very high expectations for
this year, specially because I’m reading and
hearing that many Conferences, Meetings and Summits
are scheduled, and very many of them are already
involving Family Perspectives in theirs Programs.
I congratulate Organizers, Speakers, Hosts, supporting
Governments, Inter-Governmental and Non-Governmental
Organizations, Participants and the Media, and everyone
who compromises with the Resolutions and Declarations
outcoming from these Conferences, actively transforming
words into realities or spreading the news of what’s
happening in all levels, particularly when involving
The Family and their well-being.
I
also congratulate the United Nations, for the comprehensive
involvement and commitment of many Departments,
Sections, Agencies and Specialized Bodies, because
their support is fundamental for progress and achievement
of the many guidelines that all of us together established.
I
think it is needless to say that the World Family
Summit, held last December in China, was an enormous
success. I want to thank all of those whose participation
was fundamental in this great Summit:
His
Excellency Minister Zhang Weiqing, Minister
of National Population and Family Planning Commission
of China and the Chinese Government, for
his fantastic efforts and dedication in making this
first World Family Summit a landmark in Conferences
on Family Matters;
Her
Excellency Vice-Minister Dr. Baige Zhao, Vice-Minister
of National Population and Family Planning Commission
of China (NPFPC); for her personal commitment towards
the Summit and her formidable and unparalleled team:
Dr. Hao Linna, Director General (NPFPC),
Dr. Ru Xiaomei, Deputy Director-General (NPFPC),
Dr. Hu Hongtao Deputy Director-General (NPFPC),
and their support Staff and Volunteers; their work
was the backbone of the Summit and have a great
share of the Summit’s success;
Our
welcoming Hosts, the Governor of the Hainan Province
Mr. Wei Liucheng, who was extremely kind
in accepting to host the Summit and opened all doors
within his reach to support this event; the Mayor
of the City of Sanya, Mr. Liu Mingqi, who
was so kind to offer his city to host the Summit
and gave us, all the assistance we needed; and the
Vice-Mayor of the City of Sanya Mrs. Zhang Qi,
a woman who proves with hard work and much determination
the meaning of “women empowerment”.
The
City of Sanya for the extremely beautiful Monument
that was inaugurated in homage to the World Family
Organization and the World Family Summit;
The
United Nations System Representatives: the Secretary
General Mr. Kofi Annan, for his message of
support, and specially for his courage and initiative
of supporting Family Perspectives; Mr. Sarbuland
Khan, Under-Secretary General, for his constant
support to WFO and the Summit; Mr. Guido Bertucci,
Director of Division for Public Administration
and Development Management/UNDESA, Dr. Hanifa
Mezoui, Chief of NGO Section/UNDESA and Mrs.
Najet Karaborni, Senior Interregional Adviser/OUSG/UNDESA,
for their active participation, contribution, support,
assistance and continuous defense of the Family
as the center of development; Mr. Khalid Malik,
UN Resident Coordinator in China/UNDP, for his remarkable
notes in the opening of the Summit and his active
participation providing concrete contribution to
the Summit's work; Mrs. Siri Tellier, Resident
Representative from UNFPA Beijing Office, for her
extensive information on the involvement of Families
and the impact of a diversity of cultures inside
the Family;
Speakers,
Keynote Speakers, Chairpersons, Moderators, Success
Stories Presenters and Collaborators, for their
participation was the light conducting our works,
and their presentations showed the depth and extension
of the works involving Family Perspectives, what
is currently in development, what is the impact
of projects, actions and measures and how they interfere
in Family life. Their speeches, rich in experience
and content, presented different perspectives of
different Family lives, but always directed to the
common objective of improving the quality of life
of the Families all over the World;
Ministers,
Secretaries of State, Representatives of Governments
from all over the world, for their participation
proved the good-will and interest of Governments
of working on Family-focused policies and commitment
of working towards the well-being of Families within
their reach. Their participation as Speakers was
a major contribution to the works of the Summit,
with statistics and measures, presenting projects
and experiences, and they listened attentively to
the other programs which were presented and to the
feedback directed to them, always seeking to improve
their populations’ lives; I would specially
like to thank the Government of Austria, brilliantly
represented by Her Excellency Mrs. Ursula Haubner,
Secretary of State for Family Affairs, for her amazing
participation and her deep involvement and compromise
towards the Summit and the Declaration, since the
beggining of the year 2002 and her determination
in implementing the resolutions discussed at the
Summit;
WFO’s
Executive Board, with very special thanks to
our Vice President for Communication and Public
Relations, Mme. Saida Agrebi, for her dedicated
daily work towards the Summit, and her personal
commitment of searching and reaching worldwide Organizations
dealing with Family Issues, facilitating for many
of them the possibility to become a participant;
our Secretary General Mr. Eric de Wasch,
for all the assistance, and to the other Executive
Board Members, for extensively discussing and supporting
this vital Summit, and taking the message back home
to implement them locally, regionally, nationally;
Participants,
who left their cities and countries and traveled
long hours to join us, understanding and committing
to this important work; their contribution was undoubtedly
precious, and the continuation of our work and follow-up
relies on the feedback of the participants;
The
Drafting Committee, who worked with perseverance
in preparing the Declaration, and the International
Family, who read the Declaration, giving it
a whole new meaning when showing their own diversity;
And
of course, Observers and Contacts who could
not be present but accompanied every moment and
read, suggested, commented and committed to the
Declaration, based on side documentation and reports,
and from wherever they were, also compromised to
our Summit in working towards family-focused public
policies.
I
would like to draw the attention to WFO Members
as well as other Organizations who committed with
us to the Sanya Declaration that now is the time
to take the word into action. We have, during this
first World Family Summit, established guidelines
that must be implemented and adapted into the Families’
reality. Now is the time to take measures and to
make changes which will effectively direct our families
into a full development – considering its
economical, political, social, cultural and sustainable
aspect. We need motivation, and most of all, persistence
to achieve our main objective in placing Family
issues in definitive in the International Agenda
and in the framework of development.
We
must remember that we are the ones
responsible for assisting, working and defending
families within our reach. Action is up to us, and
we must fiercely promote families policies and defend
their full and comprehensive implementation. I want
to remember the great words from His Excellency
Minister Zhang Weiqing, Minister of National Population
and Family Planning Commission of China, when he
commits China, therefore 20% of the world’s
population, to implementing the Sanya Declaration
and to focus on families when designing and implementing
public policies and programs.
Surely
we, Participants representing Governments, NGOs,
Civil Society Organizations, International Agencies,
and the Business Community, counting on the great
support the United Nations has given and will continue
giving us, can reach at least other 25% of the world
population.
So
I look forward and invite all of you into joining
us in the continuation of this work and the first
follow-up conference, the “World Family Summit
+1”, to be held in the City of Aracaju, Sergipe
State, Brazil, from December 04-07, 2005. I look
forward to hearing your suggestions, comments and
to receiving reports and documents, which will enhance
the outcomes of our work. Very shortly information
will be available online.
Our
Staff at the WFO Regional Offices and Headquarters
are working hard for comprehensive documentation
and reports which will be complemented accordingly.
We will also be publishing in our website documentation,
articles and family-related essays relating what
is happening in the world concerning families. Your
contributions are, of course, highly appreciated
and will also integrate our Online Library.
I
wish you all a good time reading the Summit's reports
already online as well as remembering the memorable
moments in China by checking our picture gallery!
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