Family-oriented policies and priorities are still absent in most national plans and sustainable development strategies.
Several Member States address families as beneficiaries, but the potential of families as agents of development remains underutilized.
The 2020 to 2024 VNRs demonstrate little and uneven progress in implementing family-oriented policies, compared to the 2016?2019 VNRs. There is modest positive progress in reducing poverty, improving maternal and child mortality, and increasing access to water and sanitation services. However, family-oriented policies addressing extreme poverty and food insecurity have regressed; progress in reducing gender inequality and gender-based violence within the home remains stagnant or regressing; inequality between and within countries has increased; and access to affordable housing is stagnant.
The contribution of family-oriented policies to the 2030 Development Agenda has been most evident around quality of education, where a greater emphasis on early childhood development, parental engagement, and the increasing use of digital technologies has helped improve access, inclusion, and learning outcomes.
A multidimensional, family- and gender-responsive approach strengthens policymaking across key areas―poverty reduction, education, health, and urban development―and is critical for achieving the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).