The 2030 Agenda envisions a secure world free of poverty and hunger, with full and productive employment, access to quality education and universal health coverage, the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, and an end to environmental degradation.
The Global Agenda for Social Work & Social Development Framework for 2020-2030 is “Co-building Inclusive Social Transformation“. Under the Global Agenda 2010-2020, themes were set forth on a bi-annual basis, establishing a pattern that continued for a decade. This approach, while methodical, was increasingly viewed as too static, especially given the dynamic and rapidly evolving nature of global challenges.
Our world is currently grappling with an array of complex crises, including violent conflicts, severe environmental degradation, enduring poverty, and pronounced political disparities. To address these pressing issues and to align with the contemporary challenges and aspirations of social work worldwide, a shift has been made towards adopting an annual theme approach, allowing for more timely and relevant responses.
Click on the drop-down list to read previous Global Agenda engagements.
Global Agenda Activities from 2010 - 2020
2020
As President of ICSW, I am delighted that that the Global Agenda initiated in 2010 has now become a global movement. During the past months ICSW has conducted extensive consultation through our Regional and National bodies and I'm glad that we have finally arrived at the Global Agenda for next decade, 2020-2030. The two ICSW members of the task force led by Abye Tassé, Tapio Salonen and P.K. Shajahan, have offered an important contribution to the definition of the general frame "Co-building social transformation" and of the first theme. The choice of Ubuntu is especially timely at this juncture because of the global socio-political tensions heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to the collaboration of the social welfare community to strengthen social solidarity and global connectedness through our joint effort.
Eva Holmberg-Herrström
 |
 |
 |
Press Release - Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, October 2020 (PDF - 307kb)
2019
ICSW has together with core partners the International Association of Schools of Social Work and the International Federation of Social Workers had a Global Agenda for social work and social development in operation since 2010. As we enter a new decade we want to stimulate conversation about our priorities. A pamphlet Reflections on the Next Global Agenda has been published to start this conversation. You are welcome to send comments, ideas and feedback to us at
- Reflections on the Next Global Agenda (English) (311 KB)
2012
The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) initiated a discussion to develop a Global Agenda for social work and social development in Hong Kong in June 2010. The first draft of the Global Agenda was presented to the final session of the conference. The three organisations conducted a consultation with members. A combined working party produced the final document for UN Social Work Day, 26th March 2012. Both English & Japanese versions of Global Agenda are ready for download as per links below:
- The Global Agenda (English) (376 KB)
- The Global Agenda (Japanese) (4.8 MB)
Social Work Day 2012 - Ms. Helen Clark, Administrator of UNDP, and Ivan Simonovic, Assistant Secretary-General and High Commissioner for Human Rights formally accepted the Agenda on behalf of the United Nations. Ms Clark's detailed statement:
Global Agenda in the Journal "International Social Work" - Our colleagues at the International Federation of Social Workers (Special Representative for the global Agenda, Dr David N Jones and the IFSW Secretary-General Dr Rory Truell) have jointly published an article on the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development in the journal "International Social Work". The article provides an overview on the Agenda and makes the link to implementation at a global, national and regional level.
2011
Social Work Day at the UN (March 2011) saw representatives of IASSW, ICSW and IFSW present the development of the Global Agenda. There were two presentations - to social work students and to the meeting at the UN.
2010
At the Joint World Conference in Hong Kong in June 2010, ICSW prepared three papers to form part of the Global Agenda. These can be accessed below.
Global Financial Crisis (72 KB)- Social Protection Floor Initiative (50 KB)
- Human Trafficking (60 KB)
