In a CoR plenary debate on the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, President of the Veneto Regional Council, Mr Roberto Ciambetti seized the opportunity to underline to the UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed, that the "Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without consultation and coordination with local and regional authorities and civil society", and that the Veneto Region does it share of contributing towards this important collective effort.

In 2018, the Veneto Regional Council, together with the International Federation for the Development of Families (IFFD) presented the Venice Declaration to the United Nations in New York. In line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, which calls for the need to "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable", the Venice Declaration places the family and its rights at the centre of the planning and management of cities and territories, emphasizing the need to pay greater attention to the most vulnerable citizens.

"In a society, such as the current European one, which suffers from a significant demographic decline and aging, promotion of family policies is the best investment for the future that any level of government can make", highlighted Mr Ciambetti.

"Thanks to the example of the Venice Declaration, we hope that many other European and non-European cities will join us in asking for greater consideration of the families in the various development programmes", concluded the President of the Veneto Regional Council.