The United Nation's coordinator for the International Year of the Family is here to check on preparations for the global conference scheduled for next March.
Henryk J. Sokalski, conference coordinator and director for social development at the U.N. office in Vienna, Austria, presented Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini and the city with testimonials of appreciation. He said he was thankful for the city's initiative and commitment to the conference that will bring mayors and corporations from around the world to Utah.Mayors from 2,500 "family friendly" cities have been invited to the four-day gathering to network and activate programs for strengthening family unions around the globe.
It's an idea whose time finally has come after years of discussion and preparation, Sokalski said.
He said most countries are seeing similar problems within the family unit, including unemployment, poverty, crime and domestic violence.
"The differences aren't so big. Families are in need all over the world, and the fact that they are in a precarious situation unites them in one way or another," he said.
A year devoted to family - as 1994 was designated by the U.N. General Assembly - came after 20 years of discussion and not without some criticism and concerns, admitted Sokalski.
There were complaints that the emphasis on family would diminish achievements toward equality of women and focus more on family rights than responsibilities.