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AMINA J. MOHAMMED, SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE UNITED NATIONS
SECRETARY-GENERAL ON POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
Families are at the core of human development. Among the natural and fundamental bases of society,
families are central to the world’s quest for dignity, peace and justice. Moreover, as the basic economic unit
in every society, families are key to global efforts to eliminate poverty and bring about prosperity.
There is ample evidence of the important role of the family and its contribution to economic and social
development. Chronic poverty within families is generally transferred to the next generation. Intergenerational
solidarity is a matter of justice and is essential for social inclusion. Violence amongst youth in many parts
of the world, for example, is often related to the weakening of family bonds. Some of the most successful
development policies and programmes that have led to social inclusion and poverty reduction have been
family-oriented.
As a result, families have made an important contribution to achieving international development objectives,
including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Healthy and stable family relations contribute to each
of the eight MDGs: generating wealth and reducing hunger; prolonging education; empowering women and
girls; reducing infant mortality; improving maternal health; preventing diseases; reducing pressure on the
environment; and promoting social cohesion and global partnerships.
Much remains to be done. With less than 700 days to the 2015 MDGs deadline, far too many people
and families continue to face serious deprivations. But the world has changed radically since the turn of the
millennium when the MDGs were first devised. Inequality has risen in rich and poor countries alike. New
technologies are reshaping our societies and new patterns of human settlement, as well as consumption and
production, are intensifying the pressures on our planet. Meanwhile, new opportunities have also arisen from
considerable socioeconomic changes; the expansion of education, health care, employment and migration
continues to positively alter traditional societal structures and roles.
In the midst of all this change, however, what remains constant is the role of the family, both as a
fundamental unit of society deserving the widest possible protection and assistance, and as a key enabler and
nurturer of social and economic progress.
While deliberations on the post-2015 development agenda are ongoing, there is a general consensus on the
need to build on the experience of the past decade; to expand from social development to include economic
and environmental objectives; and to fully embrace the notion of sustainable development. Families will
remain firmly at the core of this agenda across all these areas. The twentieth anniversary of the International
Year of the Family in 2014 is an opportunity to reflect upon and reiterate this important message.
Amina J. Mohammed
Special Adviser to the United Nations
Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning
Foreword