Background note

Migration represents one of the most important social phenomena of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. International migration and internal migration are two fundamental categories that encompass the movement of individuals across geographical boundaries. While both terms refer to the relocation of people, they differ in the scale and nature of the migration process. International migration involves the movement of individuals across national borders, resulting in a change in citizenship. This type of migration can be motivated by a variety of factors, including economic opportunities, political stability, family reunification, or the pursuit of educational or professional advancements. International migration can be further categorized as voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary migration occurs when individuals choose to relocate for personal reasons, while involuntary migration is often the result of conflict, persecution, or natural disasters.

Internal migration, on the other hand, refers to the movement of individuals within the boundaries of a single country. This type of migration can be driven by factors such as rural-urban migration, urban sprawl, or the pursuit of better employment opportunities or educational facilities. Internal migration can also be influenced by government policies, regional economic disparities, and individual aspirations for a better quality of life.

The distinction between international and internal migration is significant for understanding the demographic patterns, economic dynamics, and social implications of population movements. International migration has a profound impact on both sending and receiving countries, influencing labor markets, economic development, and cultural exchange. Internal migration, while primarily affecting the distribution of population within a country, can also lead to urban growth, regional disparities, and the transformation of rural and urban landscapes.

Closely linked with migration is the rapid urbanization that is occurring in many parts of the world and is changing family structures. As migrants leave rural areas seeking opportunities in cities, urban areas are growing at an exponential pace. (1)

Both trends have a profound impact on family life, family relationships, and family practices:

• Changes in family structures, such as smaller households and fewer multigenerational families — as people move to cities or other countries, they may leave behind extended family members and rely more on nuclear families or chosen families for support;
• Cities can provide new economic opportunities for families, such as higher- paying jobs or access to better education and healthcare, but they can also create economic challenges, such as higher living costs or difficulty finding work in the new location, overcrowded cities, slums, burden on infrastructure, etc.
• Disruption of social support networks for families, as they may be separated from extended family members, friends, and other support systems, while they may build new networks in the new location, such as through work or community organizations.
• Adaptation to new cultural norms and practices, which can be challenging, like learning a new language, adjusting to new food and customs, and navigating new social hierarchies.

The impact can be especially significant for the most vulnerable as children, older persons and persons with disability, particularly if they are forced to move due to conflict or displacement, as they may experience trauma, disrupted education, lack of mobility and other challenges that can affect their well-being and development.

Young people can also be heavily affected in terms of employment, housing and family formation. In that sense, it is now more important than ever to bear in mind that integration is an investment. (4-2)
Asia has been experiencing rapid urbanization and migration in recent decades. This has led to significant changes in the social, economic, and cultural landscape of the region. Migration from Asia to Northern America and Europe drove much of the increase in the number of Asian migrants outside the region, reaching a total of more than 46 million extra- regional migrants in 2020. (5-3)
Many migrant workers leave their families behind and only return home for brief visits. This has led to the development of new family structures and relationships, with grandparents often taking on a more prominent role in the upbringing of children.

In reply to these challenges, one of the biggest challenges faced by Asian cities is the need to provide adequate infrastructure and services to accommodate the growing urban population. This includes building new housing, transportation systems, and social services such as healthcare and education.
Policies and programs that support migration and well-planned and well-managed sustainable urbanization are closely related to the successful realization of the United Nations Agenda 2030, as localized by the New Urban Agenda. SDG 11 emphasizes the need for inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities. Ensuring that families have access to adequate housing, basic services, and infrastructure, and that they are not left behind in the process of urbanization, is crucial for achieving it, and that is the policy framework of the New Urban Agenda.
Overall, the challenges posed by urbanization and migration in Asia are complex and require a coordinated effort by governments, civil society organizations, and individuals to address them effectively.

PARTICIPANTS

EXPERTS

1. Prof. Meejung Chin, Seoul National University, South Korea
2. Prof. Ram B. Bhagat, International Institute for Population Sciences, India
3. Assoc. Prof. Bhubate Samutachak, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
4. Prof. Ki-Soo Eun, Seoul National University, South Korea
5. Prof. Narimah Awin, UNFPA Malaysia Country Office, Malaysia
6. Prof. Sunil Babu Shrestha, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Nepal
7. Prof. Rokuro Tabuchi, Sophia University, Japan
8. Prof. Rumaya Juhari, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia

GOOD PRACTICES

1. Mr. Jong-ik Lee, Blue Tree Foundation, South Korea
2. Mrs. Lishuang Chen, China Great Wall Society, China

Background note

The Instituto de Análisis de Política Famil- iar (IAPF), in partnership with the Focal Point on the Family, Division for Inclusive Social Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Af- fairs (DESA), the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) and Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) are or- ganizing an Expert Group Meeting on “Megatrends and Families: Focus on De- mographic changes in Latin America” to be held in México. The meeting will build on the modalities for the preparations for the 30th anniver- sary of the International Year of the Family (IYF+30), which focus on several mega- trends. The recommendations for the pre- paratory works have been reflected in the Reports of the United Nations Secretary General 2020 and 2021. In 2021, the Gen- eral Assembly’s resolution on the prepara- tions endorsed those recommendations and advised focusing on the trends of new technologies, migration, urbanization as well as demographic trends and climate change. According to the previously mentioned resolution and relevant United Nations mandates, the Expert Group Meeting aims to address specifically on demographic changes in Latin America.

PARTICIPANTS

EXPERTS

1. Prof. Meejung Chin, Seoul National University, South Korea
2. Prof. Ram B. Bhagat, International Institute for Population Sciences, India
3. Assoc. Prof. Bhubate Samutachak, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
4. Prof. Ki-Soo Eun, Seoul National University, South Korea
5. Prof. Narimah Awin, UNFPA Malaysia Country Office, Malaysia
6. Prof. Sunil Babu Shrestha, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Nepal
7. Prof. Rokuro Tabuchi, Sophia University, Japan
8. Prof. Rumaya Juhari, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia

GOOD PRACTICES

1. Mr. Jong-ik Lee, Blue Tree Foundation, South Korea
2. Mrs. Lishuang Chen, China Great Wall Society, China

Background note

The Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria in cooperation with the Focal Point on the Family, Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) and the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) is organizing an Expert Group Meeting on “Demographic Changes and Family Wellbeing in Africa” to be held 23-25 January 2023 at the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa

The meeting is organized as part of the preparations for the thirtieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, 2024 (IYF+30) and will build on the findings of the Expert Group Meeting held in 2020 which recommended focusing on several megatrends to guide the preparations. Those recommendations were reflected in the Reports of the Secretary-General (2020-2021). In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Preparations for the IYF+30 endorsed those recommendations and advised focusing on the trends of new technologies, migration, urbanization as well as demographic trends and climate change as part of the preparations for IYF+30. It is in accordance with this resolution and relevant United Nations mandates, that the Expert Group Meeting is to address demographic trends and their impact on families in Africa.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF) in 1994, the African Union Commission adopted the Plan of Action on the Family in Africa which advocates for the “promotion, formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies to ensure the protection of and support to the African family so as to enable it to play its vital role more effectively in the development of Africa.”

At the time the Plan of Action on the Family in Africa was adopted, key challenges affecting the family in the region included high levels of poverty, inadequate social protection mechanisms, low levels of educational attainment, high levels of unemployment, gender inequality, rural to urban migration, displacement, family disintegration, poor sexual and reproductive health indicators and high levels of communicable diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

In the three decades since the adoption of the Plan of Action, however, there have been significant socio-economic and demographic transformations that have direct and indirect implications for the well-being of families and their members in the region. It is for this reason that a focus on the family continues to be underscored in other regional instruments such as the African Union Social Policy Framework for Africa (2009) and the African Union Agenda 2063 (2013).

The planned Expert Group Meeting provides an opportunity to share good practices on policies and programmes that have improved family well-being, take stock of remaining and new family challenges, and recommend a way forward for the post-2024 period.

Background note

1. Recognize the family as the agent of sustainable development and prioritize the social development through effective family-oriented policies at the national levels.
2. Expand families’ access to information technology and develop family capabilities in this regard.
3. Develop parenting education programmes to protect families, especially children and adolescents, from violence and cyberbullying, and develop related manuals
4. Consider the spatial and organizational capabilities of the house and its traditional functions to accommodate the experience of working and teaching during crises.
5. Invest in assistive technologies to provide better care for older persons and inclusion for persons with disabilities and all vulnerable members of the family.
6. Create and develop evidence-based parenting programs, and invest in the inter- relation between digital addiction and family environment and developing theory- informed and evidence-based solutions
7. Raise awareness of the digital addiction dangers and how parents can deal with it.
8. Develop monitoring and following-up mechanisms with regard to the family, fertility data and population dynamics.
9. Establish an observatory of family policies by the Doha International Family Institute in cooperation with the League of Arab States.
10. Continue cooperation between the Doha International Family Institute and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and other partners in the preparations for the thirtieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, including regional research in cooperation with the League of Arab States.
11. Conduct studies on the impact of Covid-19 on fertility-behavioral trends.
12. Encourage sharing of good practices and research on IYF+30 mega trends.
13. Invest in impact assessment research to evaluate family policies.
14. Evolve digital literacy and digital parenting programs to respond to technology advances and new usage patterns
15. With reference to the civil society declaration, the below recommendations were noted:
    15.1. Address the intergenerational digital gap among all family members in order to design and implement policies and programs to strengthen intergenerational solidarity, recognize interdependence, ensure equal educational access, build mentorship schemes among generations and promote positive interactions and intra-family relations.
    15.2. Promote the use of new technologies in flexible work arrangements such as teleworking, through the provision of public and private services, infrastructure and social protection policies to enable families fulfill their care responsibilities.
    15.3. Ensure accessible technology to all family members, considering it as an investment to develop educational programmes, new services, new jobs, new forms of cooperation while working towards a universal access to proper underlying infrastructure, devices, skills and protection.
    15.4. Encourage open communication between parents and children, as well as resilience and awareness about online risks while assisting parents to be informed of platforms and media choices their children interact with.