In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared the creation of the International Year of the Family (IYF). In proclaiming the year, the General Assembly noted that the family warrants special attention and therefore should be accorded the widest possible protection and assistance in accordance with internationally agreed instruments.

Acknowledging the need for developing and implementing policies and programs aimed at raising awareness and improving the wellbeing of families, representatives from governments, academia, non-governmental organizations, and civil society met in Doha, Qatar in November 2004 for the Doha International Conference for the Family, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the IYF.

During the conference, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, announced the creation of an International Institute for Study of the Family, later renamed the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI).

Following the conference, the State of Qatar introduced the Doha Declaration of the Doha International Conference for the Family to the United Nations General Assembly. The Declaration stresses the importance of the family’s wellbeing at all levels. Moreover, it recognizes the family as the basic unity of society. Therefore, in 2004, the 59th meeting of the General Assembly witnessed the adoption of the Doha Declaration with the endorsement of the majority of the member states.

Since its establishment, DIFI has been dedicated to championing family policies at the national, regional, and global levels, with a special focus on extensive collaborations with the United Nations organizations to advance these objectives. For instance, in 2014, DIFI organized the International Conference on “Empowering Families: Pathway to Development” in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the IYF.

The conference was concluded with the “Doha Call to Action”, which is widely circulated throughout the United Nations system. It emphasized the importance of designing, implementing, and monitoring family-oriented policies and called on governments to empower and enable families to contribute to development.

Recently, the institute has highlighted the modern challenges facing families through research and policy interventions. These challenges include technology, demographic change, climatic events, migration, and urbanization. These trends significantly impact family members and systems, especially in developing countries.

Building on this legacy, the General Assembly Resolution 78/17 on 19 December 2023 titled “Preparations for and observance of the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family,” mentions in Article (33): “Takes note of the convening of the Doha conference to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family, on the theme Family and Contemporary Megatrends, hosted by the State of Qatar and organized by the Doha International Family Institute, to be held from 29 to 31 October 2024”.