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United Nations Proclamation of the Tenth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/TenthAnv/Proclamation%20of%20Tenth%20Anniversary.PDF

The tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family constitutes an important opportunity to give a new impetus to the follow-up of the Year. In its resolution 54/124, the General Assembly reaffirmed the importance of the follow-up to the Year and of the observance of its tenth anniversary.

The objectives of the tenth anniversary of the Year would be to:

(a) Increase awareness of family issues among Governments as well as in the private sector;

(b) Strengthen the capacity of national institutions to formulate, implement and monitor policies in respect of families;

(c) Stimulate efforts to respond to problems affecting, and affected by, the situation of families;

(d) Undertake at all levels reviews and assessments of the situation and needs of families, identifying specific issues and problems;

(e) Enhance the effectiveness of local, national and regional efforts to carry out specific programmes concerning families, generate new activities and strengthen existing ones;

(f) Improve collaboration among national and international non-governmental organizations in support of families.

The tenth anniversary of the Year will be launched in December 2003. The observance of the tenth anniversary during 2004 will culminate in the holding of one plenary session of the Assembly on the topic of families. It will be devoted to a reaffirmation of commitments made and the identification of further actions, including encouraging the incorporation of effective family policies and programmes into national development strategies; and encouraging regional institutes to promote and undertake research and development of policies related to family issues.

Objectives of the Follow-up to IYF http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/TenthAnv/objectives.PDF

In its resolution 52/81 of 12 December 1997, the Assembly recognized that the basic objective of the Follow up to the International Year of the Family should be strengthened and support families in performing their societal and developmental functions and to build upon their strengths, in particular at the national and local levels. Anniversary of the International Year of the Family constitutes an important opportunity to give a new impetus to the follow- up of the Year. In its resolution 54/124, the General Assembly reaffirmed the importance of the follow-up to the Year and of the observance of its tenth anniversary.

The objectives of the tenth anniversary of the Year would be to:

(a) Increase awareness of family issues among Governments as well as in the private sector;

(b) Strengthen the capacity of national institutions to formulate, implement and monitor policies in respect of families;

(c) Stimulate efforts to respond to problems affecting, and affected by, the situation of families;

(d) Undertake at all levels reviews and assessments of the situation and needs of families, identifying specific issues and problems;

(e) Enhance the effectiveness of local, national and regional efforts to carryout specific programmes concerning families, generate new activities and strengthen existing ones;

(f) Improve collaboration among national and international non-governmental organizations in support of families.

United Nations Family Programme

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/TenthAnv/UN%20Family%20Programme.PDF

As the lead entity for the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, the Department will stimulate and coordinate activities for the preparation for and observance of the anniversary. To that end, activities will be undertaken on the following five main substantive themes: approaches to family policy development; technology and its impact on the family; parental roles and intra- familial support systems; statistics and indicators for family well-being; and HIV/AIDS and its impact on families.

The Department will support the work of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission for Social Development on the tenth anniversary of the Year. Reports and results of expert group meetings will assist the

intergovernmental bodies in monitoring the progress achieved in the preparations for the tenth anniversary and provide relevant analysis and information to support the debate on relevant family policy issues.

The Department will undertake a broad campaign to promote the observance of the tenth anniversary at all levels. This will include activities such as the promotion of the annual observance of the International Day of Families inter alia to encourage the active celebration of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family at the national and local levels; advocacy about the importance of family issues in social development planning; and awareness-raising on the pivotal role of families and on their specific needs.

The Department will also undertake studies to increase the knowledge and information about relevant trends in the area of families. The studies will seek to enhance the capacity of Governments for formulating, implementing and evaluating family-related policies and programmes.

The United Nations has completed studies on family issues. A database on family policy has been created, the web site of the Family Unit is periodically updated to facilitate access to information about the work of the United Nations in the arena of families and a directory of national mechanisms on the family will be prepared.

In order to assist Governments in addressing national priorities and emphasizing the family perspective in development planning, the United Nations will strengthen and support families in performing their societal and developmental functions, in particular at the national and local levels, through the United Nations Trust Fund on Family Activities.

This will be accomplished by promoting family- specific pilot activities and programmes and supporting policy development in least developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING A PROJECT PROPOSAL

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/TechAssist/trust_fund_guide.PDF

UNITED NATIONS TRUST FUND ON FAMILY ACTIVITIES, UNITED NATIONS
Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development
United Nations, New York 10017
Tel: 212-963-3238 Cable: UNATIONS NEW YORK Telex: 420544 Telefax: 212-963-3062

What kind of assistance is available from the Funds?

The United Nations Trust FUND on Family Activities provides financial assistance for activities specific to the family and projects of direct benefit to it, with the special focus on least developed and developing countries, giving particular attention to non-traditional resources.

Grants from the FUND have supported practical action by governments and by nongovernmental organizations at the national, regional and global levels in the following areas:

- activities of a pilot nature or which form part of larger development initiatives which aim at building national capacities and institutional capabilities for improved livelihood and well-being of families in developing countries;

- public information, awareness building and related communications support measures concerned with the situation of families in the context of national development;

- applied advisory services on emerging issues and trends, assessments of their implications for families, and evaluations of strategies, policies and programmes;

- training and advisory services on analysis, formulation and evaluation of integrated strategies, policies and programmes related to families.

What is a project?

The United Nations defines a project as a set of activities which are organized in response to an identified need or issue and are carried out within a specific period of time and budget to achieve a set of stated objectives.

Who can qualify for assistance?

Governments and non-governmental organizations, with concurrence of government(s) concerned, can submit requests for assistance for consideration by the FUND.

How can a request for assistance be submitted?

Governments can submit requests for assistance directly to the United Nations Secretariat or through the local office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Consultation with the local office of UNDP will help to ensure that requests are consistent with ongoing and planned multiand bilateral development assistance activities.

Since the United Nations provide assistance to governments upon request, non-governmental organizations should first obtain the concurrence / no objection of the concerned governmental officials in their country prior to submitting a request for assistance to the FUND.

NGOs may wish to consult with the local office of UNDP about procedures for obtaining the endorsement /no objection of the concerned governmental authorities in the matter.

Requests for funding assistance should be concise, detailed and submitted in a project document format, as described in the following sections. Concise and complete responses will facilitate project appraisal by United Nations specialists and a prompt reply to each enquiry received.

How are projects appraised?

Project proposals are appraised with respect to:

(1) the consistency of the request with the terms of reference of the FUND,

(2) the relationship of the proposal to national development strategies, policies and programmes, and

(3) the logic of the project design, its organization, substantive content, work plan and budget.

Since the resources of the FUND are designed to provide seed-money grants for catalytic and innovative action, grants generally co-finance rather than cover the entire cost of a proposal; grants recently have ranged from US$5,000 to US$20,000 per proposal. Positively-appraised requests for assistance whose resource requirements exceed these amounts may be circulated among potential donors with a view to obtaining special-purpose co-financing grants.

What is a project document?

The trust FUND project document proforma is designed to provide the basic information required to appraise a proposal and to prepare a detailed plan of operations once funding is confirmed.

The project document proforma has five sections:

Background and justification of the project: what is the origin of the proposal - the problem or issue addressed, what is its social and economic setting, and why is assistance required?

Objectives of the project: how does the proposal relate to national development strategies, policies and programmes, and what specifically does the project expect to achieve?

Expected results of the project: what will the proposal produce in terms of specific results, who will benefit and who will pay?

Project implementation and management: how will the project be carried out, in terms of a work plan, schedule of activities, and parties responsible for its implementation management?

Project budget: what will the project cost, how will this be financed, what components are the United nations being requested to finance, and what is government prepared to finance?

How is a project proposal prepared?

The experience of the FUND suggests that precise identification of the need for development cooperation, careful consideration of options by which that need is to be addressed, and clear and concise formulation of a project plan of operations and budget are all important factors in determining overall project success. Involvement of intended beneficiaries in project planning and implementation represent equally important contributions to project success and sustained operations.

Project proposals which will involve complex, multi-year assistance should be submitted in the standard UNDP project document format rather than on the trust FUND proforma so that all information required to appraise a request for assistance from the United Nations system will be available.

1. Preparation of a Project Document Cover Page

A sample cover page format is presented below; the body of a Project Document would begin on its second page.

=====================================================================

PROJECT DOCUMENT

FUND:

Project Number:

Project title:

Implementing agency:

Location:

Cooperating agency(ies):

Proposed starting date: Duration:

Government inputs: FUND inputs:

In kind:

(local currency) (US$)

In cash:

(Currency)

Third party cost-sharing:

(source, currency)

Signed:

______________________________ Name:

(On behalf of Government) Title:

Date:

______________________________ Name:

(On behalf of Implementing Agency) Title:

Date:

______________________________ Name:

(On behalf of United Nations) Title:

Date:

Summary of the Proposal:

=====================================================================

2. Preparation of a Project Document

A project document has five main parts, which are described below:

PART I. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

1. Provide a brief summary of the existing situation concerning the family;

2. Describe the problem or critical issue which the proposed project will address;

3. Describe how the proposed project relates to national development policies and strategies;

4. Are there ongoing programmes and activities which will complement project operations;

5. Indicate how the need for the project came to be determined;

6. How are intended beneficiaries being involved in project planning;

7. Are the concerned governmental authorities aware of the proposal?

8. If so, what kind of assistance are they prepared to provide;

9. Briefly describe the capabilities and experience of the project implementing agency,

10. including resources that it can provide the project.

PART II. OBJECTIVES

A. Development objective

11. What is the link between the concerned family issue and national development strategies, policies and programmes.

12. How does the proposal relate to these.

13. To which national, social and economic objectives will the project contribute, and

14. how will this result in improved well-being and livelihood of the family.

B. Immediate objectives

15. What does the project expect to achieve in terms of effects among intended beneficiaries.

16. Can project operations be extended to other areas, and

17. can the project experience be applied (or adapted) to other sectors.

PART III. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN

A. Expected project results

18. Describe the overall results expected of the project on its successful completion;

19. are unintended effects possible as well.

20. Indicate in quantitative terms, to the extent possible, what the project will produce through its planned activities and budget.

B. Project activities and work plan

21. Describe how each immediate (project) objective will be carried out in terms of activities, planned timing and duration;

22. who will be the responsible party.

C. Project Beneficiaries

23. Who and how many people will benefit from the project - directly and indirectly.

24. How will intended beneficiaries to be involved in project design, implementation and evaluation.

D. Institutional Setting for the Project

25. Where will project operations take place?

26. Who will be responsible for the planning and management of project operations.

27. What other bodies and organizations will be involved in the project, either on a direct or indirect basis.

28. What arrangements are envisaged to ensure coordination with other programmes and activities.

29. How will project operations continue, or be expanded to other areas or sectors, once the current phase of assistance is completed.

30. Are project operations expected to be self-financing on completion.

PART IV. PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION

31. How will the project be monitored to ensure that project activities are occurring as planned, remain directed towards stated objectives, and

32. that appropriate corrective action is taken, if required?

33. Who will be responsible for preparing project progress reports on an annual basis for multi-year assistance, and the accounting of expenditures made from the grant of the FUND.

34. How will the project be evaluated when it is completed; who will be responsible for this and how will intended beneficiaries be involved?

PART V. BUDGET

The project budget should indicate (1) the total cost of the project, (2) which components will be financed by the project implementing agency and (3) those components for which external assistance is sough.

Major Trends affecting Families world-wide
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/majortrends.htm
Introduction

Four trends that impact families around the globe:

Changes in family structures
Demographic ageing
Rise of migration
HIV/AIDS pandemic
Changes in family structures

Shift from extended to nuclear families as well as rise of one-person households and of cohabitation became evident during the last 50 years Falling fertility rates, migration, increases in divorce rates and increase in the number of older persons are responsible for smaller-size households Household size has fallen to an average of 3.7 persons in East Asia, 4.9 in Southeast Asia, to 4.1 in the Caribbean, 5.7 in North Africa and to 2.8 in developed regions Age at first marriage has risen to between the mid to late twenties in all regions of the world, often due to better educational and employment opportunities for women
Women have fewer children later in life Current fertility rates are 1.57 children per woman in developed regions, 3.1 in less developed countries and 5.47 in least developed countries
Demographic ageing

Lower fertility rates and higher life expectancy contribute to a larger share of older persons within the overall population Globally, the number of older persons (60 years and over) will more than triple from 606 million to 2 billion by 2050 In developed regions, 20% of population is older than 60 - by 2050 it will have reached 33%. In developing regions the share will increase from 8% to 20% Support ratios (number of working people in relation to retired persons) have been declining Ageing impacts on inter-generational solidarity, housing, social security systems, care giving and health costs Rise of migration 175 million people (3% of world population) reside outside their country of birth; 20 million refugees in 2001 Violence, discrimination, natural disasters and the hope for better economic opportunities have been the main factors for migration Migration can cause major stress on family life due to cultural, ethnic, racial and religious differences and lack of integration Seasonal and internal migration of men contributes to higher number of female-headed households around the world Trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children have increased and have become a major part of organized crime HIV/AIDS pandemic 42 million people live with HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS affects the most productive members of society who often just started their own families Care for infected relatives, coping with the loss of numerous family members and the increase of the number of orphans cause major stress on families and societies Family structure has changed to increasing adolescent and grandparent headed households in some regions of Africa Effects of the four trends. Trends challenge the ability to fulfill basic functions of production, reproduction, socialization as well as needs of family members regarding health, nutrition, shelter, physical and emotional care and personal development

Policy considerations

Any social policy should have the above-mentioned trends and the needs of families in mind
Best national practices should be studied when designing a new approach to family policies
Families should be at the center of any future social policy development.


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