United Nations (online) Expert Group Meeting
New York, 16-18 June 2020
10:00 am – 12:30 pm (NY time)

Organized by:

Focal Point on the Family, Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)

Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), United Nations

DRAFT AGENDA

Tuesday, 16 June

10:00-10:15  Opening Session

Welcoming remarks

Masumi Ono, Chief, Social Inclusion and Participation Branch

Introduction of participants

10:15 – 11:30  Session I

Appropriate ways and means to observe the 30^th anniversary of the International Year of the Family, in 2024

Moderator & opening remarks: Renata Kaczmarska “IYF process and objectives”

Presenter: Bahira Trask, “Mega trends and families”

Issues for discussion

• IYF process
• UNDESA priorities
• Assessment of responses to Note Verbale from Member States, UN entities and other stakeholders
• Assessment of civil society proposals
• Mega trends and their impact on families
• Families and technology
• Families, urbanization and international migration
• Families and demographic change
• Families and climate change
• Family policies to counteract negative effects of trends above
• Priority SDGs and targets & family policies important for their implementation
• Topics to be addressed in preparation for IYF+30
• Emerging issues
• Regional issues/perspectives/meetings/events
• Civil society and advocacy efforts

11:30-12:30  Session II

Positive parenting for promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development and social cohesion

Moderator & Introductory remarks: Nena Thundu

Presenters: 

Ignacio Socias “Positive parenting: concept and   applications”

Benjamin Freer “Global perspective on corporal punishment and its effects on children”

Issues for discussion

• Relevance of positive parenting for the achievement of SDG16 (overall and in the context of target 16.2)
• Positive parenting at different stages in children’s lives
• Links between positive parenting education and early childhood education
• Academic & civil society perspectives on positive parenting
• Positive parenting to prevent children’s neglect and abuse including corporal punishment
• Violence against children in families and beyond
• Types of abuse and neglect
• Perceptions and cultural constraints
• Negative consequences of violence against children (on children and other family members)
• The harms of corporal punishment
• The state of corporal punishment around the world
• Promotion of non-violent forms of discipline
• Awareness raising and advocacy efforts
• Relevance of SDG16 targets 

Roundtable discussion issues from Day 1

Wednesday, 17 June

10:00-11:00 Session III

Regional perspectives on parenting education

The impact of COVID-19 on families & parenting around the world

Moderator & Opening remarks: Liz Gozme (or Annemie Drieskens) “COVID-19 & parenting in the EU”

Presenter:  

Mihaela Robila “Parenting education in Europe”

Nora Spinks “COVID-19 and parenting in Canada”

Issues for discussion

• Regional perspectives on parenting education: western countries
• Similarities and differences in approaches in Western and Eastern Europe
• Parenting education in the United States
• Parenting education in Canada
• Academic and civil society perspectives
• The impact of COVID-19 on parenting

11-12:30  Session IV

Parenting education: regional and sub-regional perspectives

Moderator: Sharifa El-Amadi

Presenters:

Rosario Esteinou “Parenting education in Latin America”

Ahmed Aref “Parenting education in Asia and MENA region”

Issues for discussion

• Differences and similarities in parenting styles: global and regional perspective
• Overview of parenting education in Latin America
• Overview of parenting education in Asia and MENA region
• Progress and challenges

Thursday, 18 June

10:00-11:00  Session V

Parenting education and gender equality. the role of fathers

Moderator: Kinga Joó

Presenters:

Esuna Dugarova “Gender perspective on parenting and care”

Clara Alemann “Parenting education: the role of fathers”

Issues for discussion          

• Care and household responsibilities
• Parenting education and its importance for gender equality
• The role of fathers

Roundtable discussion with audience participation

11:00-12:00  Session VI

Parenting education for strong intergenerational interactions: the role of grandparents, including grandparents who are primary care givers.

Civil society perspectives on parenting education and the role of grandparents.

Moderator:  Regina Maroncelli

Presenters:

Soohyun Kim “Grandparenting: focus on Asia”

Alex Vazquez “Civil society perspectives on parenting education and grandparenting”

 Issues for discussion

• Effective grandparenting for intergenerational solidarity
• Regional perspectives on grandparenting
• Differences in grandparenting styles
• Grandparents as primary care givers: challenges and opportunities
• Grandparenting in Asia (rural/urban comparisons, challenges in data collection, valuing of grandparents’ contributions)
• Indicators for strong intergenerational relations

12:00-12:30  Session VII

Conclusions, recommendations & the road ahead

Moderator & Closing remarks: Renata Kaczmarska

Recommendations on:

• IYF+30 modalities
• parenting education and related issues

 will be elaborated via email exchanges with experts and civil society