Asian Family Summit in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the International Year of Family (IYF+30) 2024

To echo the call of the United Nations to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF+30) 2024 at local, regional and international levels, the Consortium of Institutes on Family In the Asian Region (CIFA), a regional platform which has been granted Special Consultative Status by UNDESA, is organising a series of activities in 2023 and 2024, in collaboration with all those who are concerned about the well-being of the family in the public, private, academic, professional, NGO and the civil society in Asia and to raise awareness on the importance of the family as a basic social unit which plays a significant role in the sustainable development of society.

The Asian Family Summit (AFS) to be held in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in December 2024 is one of the major activities to celebrate and wrap up regional efforts to commemorate IYF+30. It builds upon the recommendations to focus on several megatrends as reflected in the Reports of the Secretary-General (2020-2021) and endorsed by the General Assembly resolution in 2021 on the Preparation for the IYF+30. These include New Technologies, Urbanisation & Migration, Climate Change and Demographic Changes, all of which are closely related to the well-being of the family.

Purpose of AFS 2024

The primary objective of the AFS is to provide an opportunity for speakers and participants from the public, private, academic/professional, NGO sectors and civil society to come together to examine the challenges faced by families in these megatrends, review the existing policies and service provision and practice based on evidence and contribute towards the formulation of future family policies and innovative measures of coping with these changes. It also aims to raise awareness among Asian countries on the significance of the well-being of families and the need for collaborative efforts to achieve the goal of Converging Professional Wisdom for Advancing Family Well-Being – A Key to Sustainable Development.

Significance of Hosting the AFS in Hong Kong in 2024

Thirty years ago, upon the declaration of 1994 as the International Year of the Family by the United Nations, the Hong Kong government and the NGO sector responded very positively to the call from the UN and set up the Hong Kong Coordinating Committee on IYF to plan strategies and coordinate efforts to celebrate the year, with the theme of "Family & Community: Unity, Harmony Development". Activities including conferences, territory-wide and district-level programmes, publications, etc. were organised, raising awareness of the importance of family well-being. The Committee had been awarded as a Designated IYF Patron for exemplary support to the UN Programme on IYF, providing the backdrop for further development in the ensuing years.

Since then, it has been encouraging to witness the progress made, including the development of various services to keep pace with the emerging needs of the families, the review of service delivery models to meet the challenges posed by rapid social changes, the establishment of the Family Council by HKSAR Government and the formation of CIFA as a regional platform for sharing and exchange in Asia.

On this important milestone in celebrating the 30th Anniversary of IYF, it is most timely and appropriate for Hong Kong to take the lead, through the coordinating efforts of CIFA, to organise various activities, including the Asian Family Summit to be held in Hong Kong, as the highlight of the celebration, bringing in representatives from Asian countries, academia, professionals from various parts of Asia. This move will echo the current government’s promotional efforts in Hello Hong Kong in encouraging overseas visitors to join regional and international events in Hong Kong while showcasing Hong Kong as taking the leading role in supporting the global effort to advance family well-being for the long-term sustainable development of society. The Hong Kong Tourism Board has already pledged support in organising the AFS.