Türkiye believes that the path to peace, justice, and shared prosperity goes through the family, first lady Emine Erdogan has said.
Speaking at a side programme titled "Better Together: Global Solidarity Rooted in the Family," during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, Erdogan said the family is not only the fundamental unit of society but also a key element of sustainable social, economic, and cultural development.
Erdogan called for the establishment of a special structure within the United Nations to coordinate efforts on strengthening the family system. “It should be a goal to establish a dedicated mechanism within the UN to coordinate work on strengthening the family.”
“The structure and quality of families are harbingers of what awaits humanity tomorrow,” she said.
Erdogan warned that families today are “under siege” from global challenges, including climate change, wars, consumer culture and gender-neutral ideologies. She noted that fertility rates had fallen dramatically worldwide since the 1950s, divorce rates had risen, and single-parent households were increasing.
“Family-centred policies are no longer a choice but a necessity,” she stressed, adding that strong families were directly linked to the stability and well-being of societies.
“Nearly 50M children are currently displaced”
She also highlighted the risks posed by digitalisation, with children spending more than six hours a day in front of screens and exposed to ideological manipulation and abuse.
“Modern working conditions do not support women in their roles as mothers and within family life,” she added.
Pointing to research showing crime rates rise sharply in cities with high numbers of broken families, Erdogan argued that the family is both the state’s key partner and the first centre for solving social problems. “In healthy families, children grow up as compassionate, respectful and peaceful individuals,” she said.
Referring to global conflicts, she underlined that the family is often the first victim of wars and crises.
“Today the biggest orphan crisis of modern history is unfolding in Gaza. Hundreds of families have been destroyed before our eyes, tens of thousands of children left without parents or a future,” she said, also citing Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar and Ukraine as examples. Nearly 50 million children are currently displaced, she noted.
“Solidarity begins with the family"
The family is the bearer of values, the safest refuge for our children, and the future of humanity, she highlighted, adding that in the shadow of crises, conflicts, and disasters, "the truth that guides us is that solidarity begins with the family."
“The more we can protect the family, the more we can build a more just, more peaceful, and more prosperous world," concluded Erdogan, calling on the UN to adopt the strengthening of families as a standalone policy.
She also expressed confidence that every opinion and suggestion expressed in this direction will inspire global steps to protect the family institution.
The event was hosted by the Türkiye’s Ministry of Family and Social Services and attended by ministers from Qatar, Hungary, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Nigeria and Serbia, as well as representatives from Russia and the United States.
