THE DOHA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE FAMILY

Doha, Qatar, November 29-30, 2004

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.