Twenty years ago, at the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, the world community recognized that families, in their various forms, should be strengthened and enjoy comprehensive protection and support. As we prepare a roadmap for development beyond 2015, it is particularly fitting that the theme of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family is “Families Matter for the Achievement of Development Goals”. This underlines the reality that with well-planned, gender-sensitive, human rights-based policies, families can play a crucial role in development.

In the last 20 years, we have seen remarkable shifts in the composition of households, with a rise around the world in the number of people living on their own, and more women who head households. The twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family is an excellent opportunity to recognize these changes and call for new approaches and policies that are friendly to all families and will help combat poverty, advance gender equality, ensure work-family balance, and promote intergenerational solidarity.