The seminar “The Family is the Safest Environment to Bring up the Child” held on April 13, 2011 was organized by the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The seminar was attended by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, the United Nations Children’s Fund, governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the expert community.

From the very beginning of the discussion, the participants agreed that the overall support rendered to the institution of family was the best guarantee of the observance of children’s rights and their all-round and harmonious development. Every child has the right to live and grow up in a family environment, just like every family has the right to receive support from the state in bringing up their children with dignity and respect.

Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and UNICEF issues a Joint Communique in the follow-up to the seminar “The Family is the Safest Environment to Bring up the Child”.