DOHA: Chairperson of Qatar Foundation HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser spoke on Wednesday at the opening session of the 30th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family Conference on Family and Contemporary Megatrends, organised by Qatar Foundation’s Doha International Family Institute.
The opening of the conference at Qatar National Convention Centre was also attended by President of the Republic of Kosovo HE Dr Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, President of Zanzibar HEDrHussein Mwinyi, First Lady of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana HEArya Ali, First Lady of Iraq HEShanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, Wife of the Prime Minister of Malta HEDr Lydia Abela,First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda HEJeannette Kagame, as well as ministers and dignitaries.
Her Highness spoke about the challenges facing contemporary families, saying: “There is no doubt that the problems facing families are similar in all societies, but they differ in character from one country to the next.
“Families from the global North and families from the global South share many concerns. The most prominent are the negative impacts of technology and the issue of preserving mother tongues and cultural identities in an increasingly globalized world.”
Speaking during the opening session, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group HE Amina J Mohammed, spoke of the importance of global action to protect families, saying: “The work you will begin today can help to drive this international effort – a call to action, a call to protect, a call to anticipate, to empower, and to invest in families as the foundational units of just and thriving global communities.
“Our sessions here will frame that action and inform the policies that strive toward an inclusive, equitable, and just future for our families.”
And speaking about the impact on conflict on families,Mohammed said: “Often the burden is on our women and our children – from Gaza to Sudan, Sudan to Ukraine, Ukraine to Myanmar, and so many more places.
“It is incumbent on us, in this forum, that we seek to ensure family is about everyone, and leaves no one behind.”
Dr Osmani-Sadriu and Dr Mwinyi participated in a high-level panel discussion titled ‘Why Family Policy Matters’, which provided a global perspective on family policies and their impact on the four megatrends, and looked ahead to how they might be shaped in the next 10 years. Also on the panel were Minister of Social Development and Family HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad; President of the World Family Organization Dr Deisi Noeli Weber Kusztra, and Director of the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, US Professor Jennifer Lansford.
Al Misnad told the audience: "The family is the cornerstone of our societies. If we look at historical societies that endured for centuries, such as the Islamic and Babylonian civilizations, we see that they were founded upon a set of values and laws, foremost of which were family values. They succeeded because they recognized the importance of family values.
“Qatar fully understands the importance of family values and keeps them in mind when developing policies. Family policies are among the most important pillars we relied upon when formulating Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy, as well as laws such as the Compulsory Education Law and the Family Law, and our many social services."
Al Misnad also highlighted the importance of the Family Charter, launched by the Ministry of Social Development and Family, which includes family values such as honesty, integrity, cooperation, solidarity, dialogue, and mutual respect.
The Ministry of Social Development and Family is the strategic partner for the conference, while the Permanent Committee for Organizing Conferences within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an executive partner, with support from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). QatarDebate, founded by Qatar Foundation, is the conference’s youth partner.
Over the two days of the conference, experts, policymakers, and thought leaders from around the world will explore four major global megatrends – technological change, demographic change, migration and urbanization, and climate change - that affect families in Qatar, the region, and across the world. Held every decade, the conference has a pivotal role in developing policies and programs that support and empower families.
