The United Nations (UN) Global Day of Parents is marked every year on June 1st to honor parents around the world and to raise awareness about the importance of great parenting and family life in every child’s upbringing.
Global Day of Parents 2024: Theme
- This year’s Global Day of Parents theme is “The Promise of Playful Parenting“.
- Throughout June, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its recognized partners will advocate for expert advice and support for parents on a wide range of issues, including the scientific basis of play and family activities.
Background:
The United Nations began to focus on family-related issues in the 1980s. In 1983, based on the Economic and Social Council’s recommendations, the Commission for Social Development, in its resolution on the Role of the Family in the Development Process (1983/23) requested that the Secretary-General raise awareness among decision makers and the general public of the family’s problems and needs, as well as effective ways to meet those needs.
The General Assembly established 1994 as the International Year of the Family in its resolution 44/82 of 9 December 1989, and in resolution 47/237 of 1993, the General Assembly declared 15 May of each year as the International Day of Families.
The Global Day of Parents is an annual celebration of parents worldwide that was declared by the General Assembly in 2012.
Significance:
- The global observance emphasizes the importance of parents in children’s development and recognizes that the family bears main duty for the nurturing and safeguarding of children.
- The day provides an opportunity to recognize parents all over the world for their unselfish dedication to their children and lifelong sacrifices in nurturing this bond.