Poverty devastates families, communities and nations. It causes instability and political unrest and fuels conflict.
If tolerance, respect and equity permeate family life, they will translate into values that shape societies, nations and the world.
The happiness of any society begins with the well being of the families that live in it.
The future of peace and prosperity that we seek for all the world's peoples needs a foundation of tolerance, security, equality and justice. That foundation is the family. It is only by protecting families, from famine as well as from fragmentation, that they can prosper and contribute to the family of nations that is the United Nations.
The global work of the United Nations is not without reason compared to that of a family - striving for a common goal in concert with all members for a better future.
Let us all reaffirm our commitment to improving the well- being of families throughout the world.
We must restore the sacredness of the family as a bedrock of humane values everywhere, in peace as well as in war.
