The third Forum of Mexican Family-Sustainable Cities was held in San Luis Potosi with the participation of around 250 authorities and civil society representatives, including mayors and other delegates from 30 municipalities, most of them signatories of the Venice Declaration.

They came from different political parties, sizes, and geographical backgrounds in Mexico, and discussed good practices in implementing their participation in the Inclusive Cities for Sustainable Families project during the past months.

At the opening, the President of the Municipal Family System, Estela Arriaga Márquez, accompanied by the Mayor of the Capital, Enrique Galindo Ceballos, emphasized the importance of consolidating “good practices for social policies in family perspective.”

The Forum was also attended by Renata Kackzmarska, Focal Point of the Family at UN DESA; Juan Antonio López Baljarg, General Director of the Instituto de Analísis de Política Familiar (IAPF); Ignacio Socías Piarnau, Director of Communication and International Relations at the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD); and representatives from Qatar, Brazil, and Italy.

In her address, Renata Kaczmarska, underscored that “We are on the path to building a model of sustainable families, so today, we will gain valuable insights at this event.” Ignacio Socías Piarnau, at his turn, celebrated the fact that Mayor Enrique Galindo and the Municipal DIF President, Estela Arriaga, have joined this global project, which has already borne fruit and promises future benefits by creating a platform of good practices that can help all cities benefit from what others are doing.

The goal of this national event is to learn about the best practices that municipalities can adopt after it is proved how crucial it is to encourage local governments to support families, hence the signing of the Venice Declaration, promoted with IFFD in partnership with the Veneto Region in Italy. Only in Mexico, 44 municipalities have joined this objective.

At the conclusion of the event, the organizers highlighted the strategies and actions shared to protect and care for families. He also emphasized the exchange of successful experiences from municipalities, states, and specialists in the field. They added that during the meeting the family was not approached from an ideological or emotional standpoint but rather from a technical perspective.

During a joint press conference, Ignacio Socías Piarnau acknowledged that San Luis Potosi complies with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by promoting actions to create favorable environments for family development.

GALLERY