Priests for Life signed on to the following statement. To see all of the signers in PDF format, click here.
Panel Discussion on the implementation of States' obligations on the role of the family in supporting the human rights of its members
This statement has been endorsed by over 100 organizations worldwide, including family, parents’, women’s, and girls’ rights organizations.
We value the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family as a timely opportunity to reaffirm the centrality of the family within the international human rights framework. As the natural and fundamental group unit of society, entitled to the widest possible protection and assistance, the family remains a key pillar in safeguarding and promoting the human rights of all its members, while also serving as the primary agent and catalyst for the development of our communities and societies.
Against this backdrop, we must express our deep concern over the United Nations’ failure to address and respond to the mounting challenges that families face today, including demographic shifts, the increasing prevalence of family breakdown, and technological transformation, to name a few. This systemic failure, often rooted in misguided notions of progress and humanism, has resulted in a growing trend of "family disempowerment”, which not only undermines the enjoyment of human rights within the family unit but also places a profound strain on society as a whole.
To ensure greater attention and action on the family issue, we join the call for the proclamation of an International Decade of Action for the Family, aimed at closing gaps in mainstreaming a family perspective across the UN system and empowering families to more effectively support the human rights of their members. We urge all States and civil society organizations to lend their support and actively engage in this effort.