Following up on the theme of the 59th session of the Commission for Social Development: “Socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all” the 2021 observance of the International Day of Families focuses on the impacts of new technologies on the well-being of families.

Megatrends, including new technologies, demographic shifts, rapid urbanization, and migration trends, as well as climate change, have been dramatically shaping our world.

The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of digital technologies for work, education and communication. The pandemic has accelerated technological changes that had already been under way both in society and at work, including the expanded use of digital platforms and related technological innovations like cloud computing and the use of big data and algorithms.

In preparation for the Thirtieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family, 2024 (IYF+30) the United Nations aims to raise awareness of megatrends noted above and responsive family-oriented policies to tackle their effects.