UN General Assembly
1989

While family structures greatly vary in different national cultures, there is a general need to strengthen national programmes and international cooperation regarding protection of and support for the family. Austria therefore welcomes the decision of the forty-third session of the General Assembly, based on a proposal by Poland and other countries, to observe an International Year of the Family. Such a year could help to highlight the central function of the family in society. Peace and stability ultimately begin in the home. While in some societies families still provide social and economic security to its members, in others families require public financial support in order successfully to perform their functions, which ultimately benefit everyone. The equality of men and women generally enshrined in international as well as in national legal instruments still needs better translation into the reality of society. Family structures sometimes mask violence against women and children, a fact which requires decisive measures at all levels.