UN focusses on family’s role in achieving MDGs

May 16, 2014 - ‎The United Nations on Thursday marked this year's International Day of Families ‎highlighting the vital role that these critical social units in every society play in achieving ‎globally ‎agreed development goals and advancing a better world for all.‎ ‎“As we commemorate this ‎year's International Day of Families, we recognize the meaningful ‎contributions that families make to ‎advancing the mission of the United Nations,” Secretary-General ‎Ban Ki-moon said in his message for ‎the Day, observed annually on 15 May.‎ ‎“By providing economic and emotional sustenance to their ‎members, families can raise productive, ‎caring citizens committed to the common good. Strong, well-‎functioning families, whatever form ‎they may take, can help reduce poverty, improve the wellbeing of ‎mothers, promote gender equality ‎and uphold human rights.”‎ This year's Day marked the 20th ‎anniversary of the International Year of the Family and offers an ‎opportunity to refocus on the role of ‎families in development, particularly in achieving ‎internationally agreed development goals.‎ ‎Ban called for mobilizing the world's families as countries strive to usher in a more sustainable ‎future, ‎achieve the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), ‎shape a new ‎development agenda and combat climate change.‎ ‎“Let us strive to strengthen these small but critical ‎units found in every society so that we may ‎advance as one human family toward greater progress,” he ‎said.‎ (Source: UN)‎