Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 12 February (BelTA) – The importance of programs to support traditional families was stressed during a discussion at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 11 February. Attending the event organized by the Group of Friends of the Family was Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Valentin Rybakov, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The participants emphasized the importance of the development and promotion of programs aimed at supporting traditional families, and stressed the need for practical steps to draw public attention to the implementation of policies to promote family welfare not only at the national level, but also within the UN framework,” the press service said.

Representatives of the countries-members of the Group of Friends of the Family shared national practices regarding social and economic support for families. They also discussed ways to consolidate traditional family values and priorities in the process of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “The reports by representatives of the academic community clearly demonstrated that traditional families are of critical importance for sustainable and successful social development,” the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out.

The event was initiated by Belarus, Egypt, and Qatar, the co-founders of the Group. Partners from different international non-governmental organizations operating in the United States took part in its organization.