THE DOHA PROCESS

Summary:
Process and Outcomes of the
Doha International Conference for the Family

Introduction: The Doha International Conference for the Family was the culminating event of the United Nation’s 10th Anniversary Celebration of the International Year of the Family. The conference produced substantial high-quality global research on the family, prompted thousands of members of civil society to express their views regarding the meaning and centrality of the family, and ended with the UN General Assembly taking note of the Doha Declaration – a significant reaffirmation of long-standing international commitments to the natural family. The conference has provided the world with an important moment for recommitment to long-standing norms related to religious and ethical values, human dignity, marriage, parent and child relations, and the right of children to be raised within a loving and caring family.

Background: The Doha International Conference for the Family was welcomed by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/58/15 (December 15, 2003). The Conference analyzed and reaffirmed Article 16(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaims that “the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state. The Conference brought together a broad range of participants, representing diverse cultures, political systems and faiths. The participants were united by the common understanding that, by protecting “the natural and fundamental group unit of society” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art. 16(3)), communities, nations, regions and the world will not only encourage sustainable development, but further the intercultural understanding that is the necessary foundation for a stable, secure and just world.

As noted by UN Secretary General Kofi Anan in his report on the 10th Anniversary Celebration, the family has significant “potential to contribute to national development and to the achievement of major objectives of every society and of the United Nations, including the eradication of poverty and the creation of just, stable and secure societies.” Report of the Secretary General, A/59/176 (July 23, 2004) at par. 4. Unfortunately, this potential “has generally been overlooked.” Id. The conference was designed to remedy this oversight by reaffirming fundamental international norms related to the family – and establishing proposals for action – that will provide a firm foundation for research, discussion and policy development related to family life during the coming decade.

Preparatory Proceedings of the Doha Conference: The preparatory process of the Doha International Conference for the Family included a regional dialogue organized by an NGO Working Committee in Geneva, Switzerland. The committee worked with government representatives from Sweden and Malaysia to organize and conduct regional dialogues in Stockholm, Sweden, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Additional government meetings were held in Cotonou, Benin; Baku, Azerbaijan; and Riga, Latvia. The process was also enriched by the World Congress of Families III in Mexico City, Mexico. Declarations, papers, essays, personal statements, findings and proposals for action developed at these events were submitted to the committee and two significant reports were prepared. The first, entitled The World Unites to Protect the Family, collects the results of over 200 community meetings in 34 nations. The second, entitled The Family in the Third Millennium, provides an initial look at the more than 2,000 pages of global scholarship and academic findings collected during preparatory proceedings.

November 29-30 Final Session of the Doha Conference: Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, the Consort of His Highness the Emir of Qatar and President of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, opened the Doha International Conference for the Family. Her Highness noted that healthy family life is a central component of social and economic development. She emphasized that the people of the world share common views and understandings related to the meaning and importance of the family. Topical sessions of the Conference thereafter addressed such questions as The Family in the Third Millennium, The Legal and Religious Foundations for the Family in the Third Millennium, The Family and Education and The Family and Social Dialogue.

The Doha Declaration: During the two-day final session, the Doha Declaration was negotiated by a distinguished Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, composed of representatives from governments around the world. The balanced and careful language of the Declaration was finalized after thorough consideration of all committee views. The Declaration reaffirms commitments of the international community contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other UN documents. The opening paragraphs review the goals and objectives of the 10th Anniversary and recall the preparatory process of the Doha International Conference for the Family. The operative paragraphs reaffirm international commitments to the family and call for appropriate actions to implement those commitments.

Adoption of Doha Conference Outcomes by the General Assembly: The United Nations General Assembly adopted a consensus resolution on Monday, December 6, 2004, welcoming the Doha International Conference for the Family and noting its outcomes – including the Doha Declaration. A/RES/59/29 (December 6, 2004). As a result of this action, the Doha Declaration takes its place in the formal canon of legal documents comprising the growing body of international law.

Commitments for Action: The Doha International Conference for the Family encouraged a broad range of partners to consider how best to provide the family with the “protection by society and the state” assured by Article 16(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Governments, academicians, non-governmental organizations and the State of Qatar will use the outcomes of the Conference as the basis for future action:

 

• Government representatives were presented with a wealth of information that will inform and enrich future international negotiations involving family and family life. The Doha Declaration will be given particular emphasis in upcoming intergovernmental discussions.

  
  

• An expanding global network of academicians, non-governmental organizations and faith communities was given a new and positive focus for future cooperative efforts. Conference work products – including the collected academic materials, community reports and the Doha Declaration – will be the basis for further research, analysis and policy development.

  
  

• Her Highness Sheikha Moza announced that the State of Qatar will establish an international Institute for Study of the Family. The work of the Institute will be coordinated with appropriate non-governmental, inter-governmental and other entities dedicated to researching, supporting and implementing the Doha Declaration.