Expert Group Meeting on “Megatrends and Families: Focus on Digital Technologies, Migration and Urbanization”

The Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD) of the Department of Economic and Social affairs (UNDESA) is organizing an Expert Group Meeting on “Megatrends and Families: Focus on Digital Technologies, Migration and Urbanization” to be held on 7-8 September 2022.

The meeting will build on the findings of the Expert Group Meeting held in 2020 which focused, inter alia, on the modalities for the preparations of the 30^th anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF+30). The meeting recommended focusing on several megatrends to guide the preparations. Those recommendations were reflected in the Reports of the Secretary-General (2020-2021). In 2021, General Assembly resolution on the Preparations for the IYF+30 endorsed those recommendations and advised to focus on the trends of new technologies, migration, urbanization as well as demographic trends and climate change as part of the preparations for IYF+30.

In accordance with the aforementioned resolution and relevant United Nations mandates, the Expert Group Meeting is to address the technological, migration and urbanization trends and their impact on families.

Download the full report of the meeting

• Concept Note
• Agenda
• Bionote of Experts

• Recommendations

Papers

• The State of Urbanization Migration and Family Dynamics in the MENA Region by Ahmed Aref
• Migration Trends in Latin American and The Caribbean by Rosario Esteinou
• Online Child Abuse Prevention by Benjamin Freer
• Climate-Induced Migration – Symptoms, Causes, and Examples of Innovative, Locally Led Solutions for Vulnerable Families in the Philippines by Lara Hicks
• Migration and Urbanization Trends and Family Wellbeing in Canada: A Focus on Disability and Indigenous Issues by Margo Hilbrecht and Norah Keating
• Sustainable Cities – The Case of Mexico by Juan Antonio Lopez Baljarg
• Transforming Our Cities: How Empowering Families Can Break the Cycle of Homelessness by Jean Quinn
• Urbanization Trends and Good Practices in Europe by Ignacio Socias Piarnau
• Urbanization, Migration and Families in China and India by Xuefei Ren
• Migration and Urbanization Trends in Africa by Pragna Rugunanan
• Migration Trends in Latin America and The Caribbean by Bahira Trask
• Urbanization Trends and Good Practices in Latin America by Jose Alejandro Vazquez Alarcon
• Digital Technologies: Interlinkages with Megatrends and Regional Perspectives by Susan K. Walker

Presentations

• The State of Urbanization Migration and Family Dynamics in the MENA Region by Ahmed Aref
• Migration Trends in Latin America and The Caribbean by Rosario Esteinou
• Online Child Abuse Prevention by Benjamin Freer
• Climate-Induced Migration – Symptoms, Causes, and Examples of Innovative, Locally Led Solutions for Vulnerable Families in the Philippines by Lara Hicks
• Migration and Urbanization Trends and Family Wellbeing in Canada – A Focus on Disability and Indigenous Issues by Margo Hilbrecht
• Urbanization, Migration and Families in China and India by Xuefei Ren
• Migration and Urbanization Trends in Africa by Pragna Rugunanan
• Urbanization Trends Around The World – Regional Perspectives And Approaches And Linkages With Families by Bahira Trask
• Digital Technologies – Interlinkages with Megatrends and Regional Perspectives by Susan K. Walker

Background Papers:

1. “Migration, Urbanization, and the Family Dimension” by Bahira Sherif Trask
2. “Technology Use and Families: Implications for Work-family Balance and Parenting Education” by Susan K. Walker