Juan Carlos Lucio

May 9th

International Day of Families

The International Day of Families, annually held on May 15, celebrates the importance
of families and the work started during the International Year of Families.

In 1995, the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen, recognized the

importance of the family as the basic unit of society, and acknowledged that it played a key role in
social development and as such should be strengthened, with attention to the rights, capabilities and
responsibilities of its members. The Programme of Action of the World Social Summit
acknowledged that in different cultural, political and social systems various forms of family exist
and that the family was entitled to receive comprehensive protection and support.
Within the United Nations system, the Focal Point on the Family, located in the Division for Social
Policy and Development (DSPD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(DESA), builds an awareness of the global situation of families and promotes family-oriented
policies and programmes.
We are part of the Social Integration Branch, which falls within DSPD in the United Nations
Secretariat. You can reach us by email at social@un.org. Our contact address is available here.
Mission

The Focal Point on the Family works to:

 Promote the objectives of the International Year of the Family (1994) and its follow-up
processes;
 Advocate to integrate a family perspective into national, regional and international
development agendas;
 Promote the integration of a family perspective into policy-making at the national,
regional and international levels;
 Provide substantive servicing in the areas of family and family policy to United Nations
intergovernmental bodies, particularly the General Assembly, the Commission for Social
Development and the Economic and Social Council;
 Encourage and support coordination on policies and programmes within national
governments and within the UN system;
 Support research on family issues;
 Provide technical assistance and capacity-building for family policy development and
projects for family wellbeing;
 Exchange good practices in family policy making; disseminate information and support
networking on family issues; and
 Engage in dialogue with Governments, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector and
academics, facilitating the exchange of good practices in family policy making.
Juan Carlos Lucio
May 9th
What Do People Do?
A wide range of events are organized at local, national and international levels. These include:
workshops, seminars and policy meeting for public officials; exhibitions and organized discussions
to raise awareness of the annual theme; educational sessions for children and young people; and the
launch of campaigns for public policies to strengthen and support family units. In some countries,
tool kits are created to help people organize celebrations aimed at a particular section of the
population, such as school children or young adults.

Public Life
The International Day of Families is a global observance and not a public holiday.

Background
The year 1994 was proclaimed as the International Year of Families by the United Nations. This
was a response to changing social and economic structures, which have affected and still affect the
structure and stability of family units in many regions of the globe. The International Day of
Families, on May 15, is an occasion to reflect on the work started during 1994 and to celebrate the
importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world. It has been held every year
since 1995.

Symbols
The symbol of the International Day of Families consists of a solid green circle with an image in
red. The image consists of elements of simple drawings of a heart and a house. This indicates that
families are the center of society and provide a stable and supporting home for people of all ages.