President’s Report: Reflections on Global Social Development and the Role of Social Work

Dear Readers,
It is a pleasure to share this President’s News Update with you in this 30th edition of Social Dialogue, which comes at a moment when global events call for renewed courage and commitment in the social work profession.

The theme of this edition of Social Dialogue—The Politics of Social Work: The Need for Courage in an Unfair World—resonates with the recent Second World Summit for Social Development held in Doha, Qatar (4–6 November 2025), where IASSW played an active role in civil society events. Civil society organisations were invited to host solution-focused side events, and for the first time an international collaboration between the IASSW, the International Federation for Social Workers (IFSW), the International Council for Social Welfare (ICSW), and the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) united in a historic partnership. This strengthened our collective presence and enabled three successful Solution Sessions, shaping global discourse on social policy and practice.

Representing three themes, the panels were led respectively by IASSW on “Universal Social Protection as a Pillar of a Just Society”; by IFSW on “Strengthening Social Integration Through Intergenerational Solidarity”; and by ICSW on “Designing Integrated Social Policies for Inclusive Sustainable Development”. Anchored in shared values and purpose, the four organisations reaffirmed their commitment to advancing transformational social development.

A central highlight of this collaboration was the jointly crafted statement submitted to the High-Level Round Table on “Assessing progress and addressing gaps and challenges in the implementation of the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development…”. The statement placed social work and social development practitioners at the heart of the social care and support pillar—recognising their essential role in improving wellbeing, reducing vulnerability, and building resilient communities. It further called for greater investment in the social service workforce and for stronger coordination across social, economic, and environmental policies.

...building inclusive and just societies requires deeper cooperation, shared learning, and sustained collective action.

Thirty years after the Copenhagen Declaration, the world confronts deepened inequalities and instability. At the Summit, Heads of State adopted the Doha Political Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to the SDGs and renewing the principles of the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration. The Summit showcased creativity, resilience, and innovation emerging from civil society. Social work educators, practitioners, social development professionals, and community leaders demonstrated how collaborative action can inform integrated and equitable social policies. Together, the four partner organisations emphasised that building inclusive and just societies requires deeper cooperation, shared learning, and sustained collective action.

This edition of Social Dialogue strengthens our understanding of political social work and reinforces the important role of the profession in holding States accountable. Together, the contributions in this edition will help guide us in our ongoing efforts to strengthen social work education, research, and scholarship worldwide as we collectively strive toward a more just and equitable world.

Our publication partnership with the SpringerBriefs in Advancing Social Work and Social Work Education series continues to flourish, enriching global scholarship. In 2024, the first books—Exploring New Horizons for Decolonial Social Work Education and Social Work Education: Breaking New Grounds and Addressing New Challenges—were followed by Research and Practice-based Models for Advancing Social Work. In 2025, two volumes edited by Mark Henrickson and Darla Spence—Advancing Social Work Practice, Policy, and Research—were published, with Volume 1 focusing on women, children, and isms, and Volume 2 on policy and global perspectives. A forthcoming volume, Social Work Scholarship in the Global South, is expected soon.

IASSW invites proposals for projects designed to advance social work education internationally, fostering collaboration among schools of social work worldwide, with grants available up to USD 3,500. We have also embarked on two jointly funded research initiatives with the European Association of Schools of Social Work (EASSW), detailed on our website.

Readers can follow further highlights online, including international webinars, regional conferences, book publications, and celebrations of social work educators and milestones worldwide. Most recently, Latin America commemorated a centenary milestone with a conference in Chile, celebrating the founding of the first School of Social Work in the region in 1925.

We also celebrate distinguished colleagues honoured by IASSW in 2025. Dr Margarita Rozas-Pagaza received the prestigious Katherine A. Kendall Memorial Award, and Prof Carmita Álvarez Santana was selected for the Eileen Younghusband Memorial Lecture. Both will deliver their inaugural lectures at the Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development in Nairobi, Kenya.