Family well-being key to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals

SCMP | Jan. 27, 2025, 8:12 p.m. | Original

The Asian Family Summit gathered over 700 delegates from Asia to discuss four megatrends: technological change, urbanisation and migration, demographic shifts and climate change. The event commemorated the 30th anniversary of the United Nations’ International Year of the Family.

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A hopeful and resilient future for families emerged from the Asian Family Summit, as over 700 Asian delegates convened in Hong Kong from 27 to 29 December. The Asian event commemorated the 30th anniversary of the United Nations’ International Year of the Family.

“Families can enrich our lives by providing long-lasting social bonds and promoting the well-being of individuals,” said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the UN in the opening address video of the Asian Family Summit. “They can be a good example of how to share resources within and across generations and sustain a system of mutual care and support.”
Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the UN, said that strengthening the well-being of families enables better outcomes for children, breaks the intergenerational cycle of poverty, and promotes gender equality.
Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the UN, said that strengthening the well-being of families enables better outcomes for children, breaks the intergenerational cycle of poverty, and promotes gender equality.
Extensive discussions focused on creating solutions for advancing families as they navigate the impact of four megatrends: technological change, urbanisation and migration, demographic shifts and climate change.

Li said that major global challenges must be addressed through effective family policies.

“By focusing on families, we can achieve better outcomes for children, break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, and promote gender equality,” he said.

The Asian Family Summit (AFS) is one of several programmes organised by the Consortium of Institutes on Family in the Asian Region (CIFA) to echo the call of the United Nations to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF+30). The AFS, along with other programmes of the Jockey Club Professional Development Initiatives on Family Services, are supported by the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project which is initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

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