Intervention by the Youth Representative of IFFD at the High-Level Panel Discussion marking the 30th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family, held during the 62nd Session of the Commission for Social Development at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
Reply by Professor Bahira Trask, Dept. of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Delaware (USA).
I am Miguel Garcia Nates, a student at the University in Madrid, Spain, and I represent the youth of the International Federation for Family Development. In recent months, eight student groups from various European universities across six countries investigated the impact of climate anxiety on family planning as part of their contribution to the preparations for the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family. We concluded that addressing declining birth rates requires a nuanced understanding of various factors, including climate change anxiety and shifts toward individualism in society. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and potential secondary effects of simplistic approaches must be considered. I would like to ask Professor Trask how we can overcome the fear and negative views about the future and be able to start a family as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentions in article 16?
