The event took place on 28 and 29 June 2022, at the Palais des Nations, United Nations headquarters in Geneva, co-organised by United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and World Family Organization (WFO).
The theme of this year was “InvestInFamilies”- Local Authorities and Families working together to alleviate poverty and hunger, promote quality education and well-being, economic growth reducing inequalities in an inclusive environment of peace and security, Leaving No Family Behind”.
For the organizers, supporting local authorities and families to implement the Agenda 2030 with all its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an exceptional opportunity to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis by promoting better community integration with the public sector leading to renewed hope, harmony, growth and job creation while ensuring sustainability. The World Family Summit 2022 highlighted the SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Strong Communities – linked to the SDGs 1,2,3,4 and 5.
During the Summit were discussed in the first session on how to raise awareness and strengthen family-friendly local social protection policies and programs implementation, enabling massive changes in the communities and providing means to tackle urban and rural poverty and hunger, quality education, good health and well-being to all and at all ages.
During the second session the focus was means to improve communities and families access to inclusive economic growth recovery strategies, decent jobs, gender sensitive opportunities and structural changes to reduce inequalities.
In this session, the first success story was the European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities, promoted by ELFAC and presented by Raul Sanchez, its secretary general, as a new initiative to promote local policies in favour of the wellbeing of families. Mission of the Network is to provide support, tools and resources to European municipalities to develop and improve a family friendly culture through a common process of planning and self-evaluation. After his speech, several municipalities from different countries of the world wanted to know more about the experience of the Network.
The Summit was closed by Mr. Alex Mejia, Director of Division for People and Social Inclusion of UNITAR, and by Dr. Deisi Kusztra, World Family Organization President.
