United Nations Documents

A/RES/50/142
97th Plenary Meeting
21 December 1995
Follow-up to the
International Year of the Family

Web Posted on: November 24, 1997

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 44/82 of 8 December 1989, 45/133 of 14 December 1990, 46/92 of 16 December 1991 and 47/237 of 20 September 1993, concerning the proclamation, preparations for and observance of the International Year of the Family,

Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the observance of the International Year of the Family,

Bearing in mind the results of the International Conference on Population and Development, the World Summit for Social Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women, within which it was noted that the family is the basic unit of society and as such should be strengthened, that it is entitled to receive comprehensive protection and support, that in different cultural, political and social systems various forms of family exist and that the rights, capabilities and responsibilities of family members must be respected,

Noting the accomplishments resulting from the observance of the International Year of the Family, inter alia, the new initiatives and long-term activities in support of the family all over the world, in particular at the local and national levels, and the value of international cooperation on family issues,

1. Invites Governments to continue their action to build family- friendly societies, inter alia, by promoting the rights of individual family members, in particular gender equality and the protection and development of the child;

2. Urges Governments to ratify or accede to and to ensure implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women so that universal ratification can be achieved by the year 2000 and to take urgent measures to achieve universal ratification of or accession to the Convention on the Rights of the Child before the end of 1995, and urges those who have not yet done so to become party to the Convention in order to achieve universal implementation by the year 2000;

3. Welcomes the proposals, contained in the report of the SecretaryGeneral, on the follow-up to the International Year of the Family;

4. Invites the Commission for Social Development to consider how best to integrate the follow-up to the International Year of the Family into its work programme as laid out in Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/60 of 28 July 1995, taking into account the integrated follow-up of major United Nations conferences, to form part of a holistic approach to development and social progress;

5. Requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To submit proposals to the Commission for Social Development in order to assist the Commission in its work;

(b) To prepare a comprehensive document containing the family-related provisions from the outcome of the World Summit for Children, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the World Conference on Human Rights, the International Conference on Population and Development, the World Summit for Social Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), to be submitted to the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-fifth session;

(c) To report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session, through the Commission for Social Development and the Economic and Social Council, on the progress made on the follow-up to the International Year of the Family, taking into account the promotion of integrated reporting;

(d) To continue the operation of the Voluntary Fund for the International Year of the Family, to be renamed the United Nations Trust Fund on Family Activities, to provide financial assistance for activities specific to the family and projects of direct benefit to it, with special focus on least developed and developing countries, giving particular attention to non-traditional resources;

6. Calls upon Governments, as well as organizations, individuals and the private sector, to contribute generously to the United Nations Trust Fund on Family Activities.