General Assembly Plenary in Observance of Tenth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family 

6 December 2004, GA Session 59, Meeting 67

Mr. Briz Gutierrez, Guatemala

My delegation would like to associate itself with the statement made by Qatar on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

For Guatemala, the family is the basic unit of society and as such should receive the greatest protection, assistance and support in any social and cultural policy. For the family is the nucleus within which the development of the human being -- the owner of the future -- takes place.

Guatemala's presence at this important meeting shows the commitment of the Government to the family as the natural and necessary instrument for bringing forth and nurturing human life. The Constitution of the Republic establishes the protection and promotion of the family and the State guarantees that obligation and further declares that it is in the interest of society to take action against the causes of family disintegration.

As a result of commitments assumed at the World Summit for Children and of our ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Guatemala established a programme of community homes, under the First Lady's Secretariat of Social Work. This programme is a Government strategy to contribute to the fight against poverty, to prevent and minimize the problem posed by street children and to provide protection and assistance to abandoned or destitute children.

It cannot be denied that in all parts of the world, changes in the structure of the family have accelerated over the past decade. However, as the primary and central component of society, the family nevertheless continues to be the centre of every activity of the human being, both privately and in the social sphere. For that reason, its protection, proper functioning and well-being are of concern to society as a whole.

We agree with the Secretary-General that in the integration of matters concerning the family, the State plays the principal role. It is the entity called upon to implement important domestic policies and programmes that protect the family and advance its organization on the basis of an institution that tends towards equality of rights and obligations of the couple, responsible parenthood and mutual assistance within the home.

For many years, Guatemala has undertaken a variety of scattered, albeit urgent efforts to tackle the various social phenomena that adversely affect our families and our population as a whole. We note with concern that despite those efforts, there are still families that struggle daily to obtain food and dignified and adequately paid employment. There are other economic and cultural factors that are detrimental to the development of the human being.

There are many challenges that today's family faces, including the exploitation of children, inadequate education for children, drug addiction and alcoholism, the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, armed conflicts, natural disasters and extreme weather conditions -- to mention some of the more alarming factors. A global response is required to tackle those problems. Therefore, it is important to strengthen cooperation with and provide technical assistance to Governments so that they can enhance their national capacities, whether through non-governmental organizations or through the United Nations system, within the framework of commitments made at the various conferences and under international instruments.

With respect to the legal framework, Guatemala needs to continue to integrate family perspectives into its development process and to strengthen domestic mechanisms for coordinating policies and programmes, taking into account the multilingual, multicultural and multi-ethnic character of our country. We must therefore recognize, respect and promote lifestyles, customs, traditions, modes of social organization and other components of the identity and the worldview of each social group.

Guatemala strongly supports regional efforts to assist families, including the exchange of specialized information and experience concerning family issues and the dissemination of information. It supports the creation of networks at the subregional, regional and inter-regional levels that promote concern for the family, taking into account the cultural, environmental, social and economic conditions of each country.

With respect to the multilateral level, my delegation wishes to express its support for efforts to strengthen the machinery of the United Nations in order to promote and build capacity and to provide technical assistance on family issues to Governments that request it.