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As the world prepares for the Second World Summit for Social Development in November 2025, the International Day of Families (IDF) will spotlight the pivotal role of family-oriented policies in advancing sustainable development. Held under the theme “Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development: Towards the Second World Summit for Social Development”, the event will highlight key insights from national and regional initiatives, emphasizing the role of families in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This year’s observance will bring together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to:
- Assess family policies from National Voluntary Review reports (2020-2024) on SDG implementation.
- Review global and regional initiatives marking the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF+30).
- Showcase good practices in family policymaking across regions.
- Recommend strategies to strengthen family-oriented policies for sustainable development.
Family Policies and the Second World Summit for Social Development
The Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar (4-6 November 2025) presents a crucial opportunity to strengthen commitments to poverty eradication, decent work, and social inclusion. The Summit builds on the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration, which recognized families as the foundation of society and underscored the need for work-family balance and equal partnerships within households.
The IDF 2025 observance will emphasize the importance of integrating family-focused policies into national development agendas to address megatrends such as technological transformation, demographic shifts, urbanization, migration, and climate change.
Commemoration Event, 15 May 2025,
UN Headquarters, New York, 1:15 – 2:30 pm, CR.8
The event will highlight insights from:
- The Asian Family Summit, which focused on cross-sectoral collaboration for sustainable family development.
- The 2024 Doha Conference on Family and Contemporary Megatrends, which led to the adoption of the Doha Call to Action on family policies.
- The Centre for Family and Business Reconciliation at Austral University, which promotes work-family balance policies in the private sector.
- A working group of young researchers from 18 countries, organized by the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD), which has proposed innovative policies on social inclusion and intergenerational solidarity.
The IDF 2025 observance is open to the public and will be live webcast. Those without a valid UN ID should contact kaczmarska[@]un.org for access.
As the world moves toward the Second World Summit for Social Development, this year’s International Day of Families serves as a timely reminder that strong families are the backbone of sustainable societies. By investing in family-friendly policies, we can build a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable future for all.
