Tribune News Network
New York
To mark the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family, Qatar will host an international conference in Doha from October 29 to 31, 2024. Organised by Qatar Foundation’s Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), the event will address four major mega trends identified by the UN Secretariat that are having a significant impact on families: new technologies; climate change; urbanization and international migration; and demographic change.The conference will also advocate for worldwide support and empowerment of the family system by promoting policies and programmes that strengthen families, showcasing best practices and evidence-based research, and providing a forum for policymakers, academics, practitioners and stakeholders to engage in in-depth discussions on family-oriented policies to effectively tackle these megatrends.
Speaking at the briefing during the 78th UN Session on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues, Ambassador HE Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, said: “As we eagerly anticipate the Doha Conference commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family – IYF+30 – scheduled to take place in Doha on October 2024, I am delighted to witness the collaboration between the State of Qatar, DIFI, and the UN in this crucial briefing.
“It underscores the vital significance of the Doha conference and serves as a testament to our unwavering dedication to prioritizing family-centric wellbeing and policy development. This briefing reaffirms our joint commitment as we work tirelessly to organize a groundbreaking conference that will not only celebrate 30 years of the commemoration of the Year of the Family but also strengthen families and address the global megatrends affecting them.”
Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA, stated: “Technology trends, especially those that make us more productive, have the potential to improve work-family balance, while policies in support of sustainable urbanization, healthy ageing and family-based care can contribute to intergenerational solidarity. I am confident that the outcomes of the Conference will contribute to advancing the well-being of families throughout the world.”
Dr Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi, Executive Director of DIFI, said: ““Since its establishment by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, during the 10th anniversary of the IYF in 2004, DIFI has worked to advance knowledge on Arab families, by providing research and studies and advocating for family issues, by promoting and supporting evidence-based family policies at national, regional, and international level. We have strived to promote a familyist ideology [an ideology based on nurturing families, recognizing the significance of the family unit within society, and advocating for family-friendly policies] in relation to all policies and programs, specifically highlighting the importance of taking the entire family unit into consideration when moving towards cohesive, stable societies.
“We look forward to welcoming leaders, thinkers, academics, NGO representatives, youth, and many more to our conference, and to celebrating the family while taking into consideration the four megatrends.”
HE Mubarak Ajlan Al-Kuwari, Executive Director of the Permanent Committee for Organizing Conferences, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “Drawing upon our wealth of expertise in organizing large-scale events, we are well prepared to further the success of the upcoming 30th anniversary commemoration of the International Year of the Family in Doha. This prestigious event, graced by the participation of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs along with other esteemed international, regional, and national partners, reaffirms Qatar’s position as a global hub for hosting influential conferences.”
In 2014, the DIFI-organized International Conference on ‘Empowering Families: Pathway to Development’ concluded with the Doha Call to Action.
