1994 proclaimed 'Year of the Family'; rededication to social progress asked.

Family issues will receive heightened international attention in 1994, proclaimed as "International Year of the Family" by the General Assembly on 8 December (44/82).

The Year will highlight global awareness of family issues and the improvement of national mechanisms directed at tackling serious family-related problems.

Also on 8 December, the Assembly commemorated (44/57) the 20th anniversary of the proclamation in 1969 of the Declaration on Social Progress and Development.

The Assembly asked (44/70) for increased international co-operation to implement the World Programme of Action for the UN Decade of Disabled Persons 1983-1992). Margaret J. Anstee, Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, warned that by the end of the century, the number of disabled people would have risen to 30 to 40 per cent of the population of some countries.

"One billion elderly are projected for the year 2025, and more than 70 per cent of them will be living in developing countries"' reported Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar (A/44/420). Aging is one priority of the new International Development Strategy for the Fourth UN Development Decade as well as of the UN medium-term plan for 1992-1997. The Assembly also endorsed the outline of a UN programme in the field of aging for 1992 and beyond.

Young people should be an active part of the political and socioeconomic life of their countries, the Assembly stated (44/59). They suffer from insufficient education and unemployment, the Assembly said. Ms. Anstee noted that one of every five inhabitants of the world is young and, by the year 2000, the number of young persons would have reached the billion mark.

Other issues

Hundreds of millions of people all over the world lack adequate shelter, said Arcot Ramachandran, Executive Director of the UN Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT), on World Habitat Day, 2 October. These included the many millions who are homeless. On 19 December, the Assembly asked (44/173) for support by Governments for the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, adopted in 1987.

On 8 December, the Assembly approved texts on the importance of population participation in development and human rights, on science and technology in connection with social development, on achievement of social justice, and on social and economic changes for social progress, particularly in Africa.