Forum Program
January 15-16, 2026 - Madrid, Spain
10:35 - 11:05
Welcome
Speakers:
- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO
Opening Remarks
Speakers:
- H.E. Eva Granados, State Secretary For International Cooperation, Spain
- Kitty Van Der Heijden, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director
- Alyoscia D'onofrio, Vice President and Head of Technical Excellence, International Rescue Committee (IRC)
- Sidsel Kristensen, CEO, The LEGO Foundation
Moderator:
- Elizabeth Lule, Executive Director, Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN)
Intended Outcomes:
- Establish high-level recognition of universal caregiver support by defining the concept, making the case for culturally-sensitive universal parenting support across all contexts, and presenting the baseline business case—highlighting return on investment, efficiency, and positive impacts on children and societies.
- Generate visibility and momentum for the Forum by securing earned media attention and leveraging photo/video content for social media to amplify the message of universal caregiver support.
11:10-11:30
Keynote Address 1
Being there: How responsive caregiving powers healthy human and societal development
Speakers:
- Dr. Lisa Damour, Clinical Psychologist and Author
Keynote Address 2
Ending our biggest, costliest and least discussed public health problem
Speakers:
- Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Pediatrician and Former Surgeon General of California
11:30 - 12:00 | INTERLUDE
12:00 - 13:15
Caregiving and parenting as the foundation of child development
Speakers:
- Mrs. Mar Faya, Head of Service of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Service At the Niño Jesús University Children's Hospital In Madrid, Spain
- H.E. Jelena Zaric Kovacevic, Minister of Family Care and Demography, Serbia
- H.E. Dr. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Pakistan
- H.E. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Nigeria
- Bernadette Black, Seeds Futures National Preventative Framework Australia
Moderator:
- Inah Kaloga, Senior Director, Violence Prevention and Response Unit - IRC
Intended Outcomes:
To share a common understanding of the science and policy implications of parenting and child development.
13:15 - 14:15 | LUNCH
14:15 - 15:30
Parenting as the critical protective factor in the life of every child
Speakers:
- H.E. Natalia Plugaru, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Moldova
- H.E. Doreen Mwamba, Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Zambia
- H.E. Asma Jebri, Minister of Family, Women, Children, and the Elderly, Tunisia
- H.E. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, Thailand
- H.E. Sok Chan Chhorvy, Secretary of State, Ministry of Women's Affairs, Cambodia
- Dr. Aala El-Khani, UNODC
- María del Mar Líndez, Executive Director, SOS Children's Villages Spain
- George Hoskings, Transforming Scotland In a Generation Process
Moderator:
- Sheema Sen Gupta, Director of Child Protection and Migration, UNICEF
Intended Outcomes:
To share a common understanding of the science and policy implications of parenting and child protection and primary prevention of harm.
15:30 - 16:00 | BREAK
16:00 - 16:10
Keynote Address 3
Speakers:
- Prof. Frances Gardner CMG, Professor of Child and Family Psychology, Oxford University
16:10 - 17:10
Reaching Every Child
Speakers:
- H.E. Dr. Agnes Naa Mom Lartey, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ghana
- H.E. Haneen Sayed, Minister of Social Affairs, Lebanon
- H.E. Melrose Karminty, Minister of Social Welfare, Sierra Leone
- Ms. Tuanny Karen Souza Ramos, General Coordinator of Cross-Sectoral Programmes, Ministry of Social Development, Brazil
- H.E. Wafa Saed Bani Mustafa, Minister of Social Development, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
- Prof. Matthew Sanders, Professor of Parenting Studies and Family Psychology, Founder of the Triple P Positive Parenting Program
- Dr. Susana Carmona, Head of the Neuromaternal Lab At the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, and Van Leer Foundation Fellow
Moderator:
- Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Director, Division of Health Systems, WHO Regional Office For Europe
Intended Outcomes:
Present the return on investment case for investing in caregiving support—its efficiency, effectiveness, and the potential impact of universal investment.
17:10 - 17:20
Keynote Address 4
Speakers:
- H.E. Rym Al Falasi, Secretary General, the Supreme Council For Motherhood and Childhood (scmc), United Arab Emirates
17:20 - 18:20
Roadmap to Universal Caregiver Support
Speakers:
- Laura Baena, Founder of Club Malas Madres
- Mónica Corrales, Director of Sectoral, European and Multilateral Cooperation, Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo
- H.E. Rym Al Falasi, Secretary General, the Supreme Council For Motherhood and Childhood (scmc), United Arab Emirates
- H.E. Dr Vojislav Šimun, Minister of Health, Montenegro
- Mr. Luís Martínez-Sicluna, Secretary General, Federation of Spanish Municipalities
- Jenny Doubt, Senior Research & Scaling Strategist, Parenting For Lifelong Health
- Sidsel Kristensen, CEO, The LEGO Foundation
Moderator:
- Christine Kolbe-Stuart, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF
Intended Outcomes:
Inspire commitment from policymakers, partners, and donors to support the roadmap towards universal parenting support.
18:20 - 18:30
Closing
Speakers:
- H.E. Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, Government of Spain
- Ida Thyregod, International Programme Lead, The LEGO Foundation
18:30 - 19:00 | COFFEE & NETWORKING