INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS
UNITED NATIONS SOCIAL WORK DAY – 28 MARCH 2010
Helen Clark of the United Nations calls on social workers to speak up and get
involved with the UN agendas and to challenge inequality and injustice
Right to left: Helen Clark (head of the UN Development Programme), Gary Bailey (Commissioner of the
IFSW Policy Advocacy and Representation Commission), Fiona Robertson (IFSW Treasurer)
‘There are so many complementarities and synergies between the UN agenda
and the work of social workers; we must find better ways to work together’,
said Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
the third most senior person in the UN structure and the most senior woman. She was
speaking to 400 social workers and social work students at the annual UN Social Work
Day on 29 March 2010.
Helen Clark urged social workers and their organisations to become more
involved in advocacy, campaigning to challenge inequality and injustice. ‘It is
clear that no change in the world is likely to happen by relying on governments alone.
The UN has to actively link with the movers and shakers who make things happen,
including the professionals on the ground. This must include the social workers who are
working at local community level.
Helen Clark referred to the huge challenges facing the world to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals. There have been improvements but the world is a long way from
achieving these goals. She commented that social workers are playing a major
role in supporting work to achieve the MDGs.
Helen Clark highlighted 4 priorities within the UNDP programme which engage with
social work:
Gender equality – she suggested that investing women and girls would be the
best way to achieve other MDGs
Inclusion of indigenous people
Disability – a new UN convention
Young people
The session was opened by Christian Rollet (ICSW President), David N Jones (IFSW
President) and Helle Strauss (Secretary, IASSW). They spoke about the determination
of the 3 global organisations to work in partnership to ensure that the messages from
social work and social development practice are brought together to develop a new
social agenda for the next decade. The UN Social Work Day programme is part of the
social agenda process which will culminate in the world social work and social
development conference in Hong Kong in June 2010.
Other speakers included Rosemary Barbera (Monmouth University), who spoke about
life course challenges and poverty, and Henia Dakkak (United Nations Population Fund)
who reflected on the nature of help after disasters and the work of the UN in Haiti.
After the meeting, David N Jones, Christian Rollet and Helle Strauss commented: ‘This
day, and especially the encouragement from Helen Clark, has strengthened our
determination to work together to shape a new social agenda. We call on all social
development and social work professionals to engage with this debate. Together we
can influence the world with our experience and help to improve the world for
everybody.’
Contact details
International Federation of Social Workers
Postfach 6875
CH-3001 Berne
Switzerland
global@ifsw.org
Tel: (41) 31 382 6015
Fax: (41) 31 382 1125
NOTE FOR EDITORS
UN Social Work Day has been held every year for 27 years. It is organised jointly by IASSW and
IFSW and usually falls on a day very close to World Social Work Day.
The event is organised jointly by IASSW and IFSW and is supported by a team of interns and
volunteers. They are also crucial in taking forward issues raised by one or other global
organisation and the UN teams are already working on the strategy to follow up this successful
day.
The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) is the worldwide
association of schools of social work, other tertiary level social work educational programmes,
and social work educators. The IASSW promotes the development of social work education
throughout the world, develops standards to enhance quality of social work education,
encourages international exchange, provides forums for sharing social work research and
scholarship, and promotes human rights and social development through policy and advocacy
activities.
The International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW) is a network of national civil society
umbrella bodies. Its members are active in a wide range of fields within the general areas of
social development, social welfare and social justice. This includes issues such as food and
nutrition, welfare and health services, social protection, education and housing, as well as many
issues relating to economic development, human rights and community participation.
The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) is the global federation of national
social worker associations striving for social justice, human rights and social development
through the development of social work, best practices and international cooperation between
social workers and their professional organisations. Since its original establishment in 1928,
IFSW has been the representative body of professional social workers globally. Today, IFSW
represents social work associations in more than 80 countries with a total membership of more
than 500,000 social workers. Special consultative status has been granted by the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
In addition, IFSW is working with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Health
Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Habitat and others.