GLOBAL COOPERATION NEWSLETTER
June 2014
In this issue:
ICSW today: proud history and challenges ahead
by Sergei Zelenev, Executive Director, ICSWDr. Sergei Zelenev assumed his position at ICSW in August 2012. Prior to that he worked for theUnited Nations for almost three decades, both at Headquarters in New York and in the field, in Africa
and the Caribbean. An economist by education, he dealt throughout his career at the UN with thesocio-economic dimensions of the intergovernmental policy dialogue and took on various managerial
duties, including such positions as Director of the UN International Research and Training Institutefor the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) and the Chief of the Social Integration Branch in the
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA).

Established in 1928, the International Council on Social Welfare(ICSW) is one of the oldest international non-governmentalorganizations aimed at promoting social development, social justicelinked to the history of social work and social practice, unfolding acrossgeopolitical borders and aimed at improving the human condition andwell-being in the face of socio-economic uncertainties and risks
generated by market-driven societies. While the emphasis placed by
the ICSW on international social work and social development,
nationally and internationally, has been shifting, the balance between
these two aspects has evolved.
The immediate predecessor of the ICSW -- the first International Conference on Social Work -- wasconvened in Paris in July 1928. That ground-breaking event became possible following the dedicationand vision of several extraordinary personalities willing and capable of assuming leadership in the
preparation of the Conference i in the aftermath of World War I, which brought devastation andsuffering to many nations. Preparatory work for the International Conference began in earnest withseveral meetings of the Preparatory Committee being held over a three-year period. Theseculminated in a meeting in Prague in 1927, where the guidelines for the organization of theConference were elaborated and adopted ii. The stated goals of the Conference were fostering
discussion and idea-sharing between social workers and social welfare organizations from around theworld; assistance with dissemination of ideas and professional information; and establishing personal
contacts. These efforts promoted international cooperation within the social work profession andbeyond, bringing on board numerous activists, experts and practitioners, while working apart fromstate-sponsored structures for improving the human condition. The largest intergovernmentalorganizations of that time the League of Nations and the International Labour Organisation -provided technical support, with financial backing from several national and regional foundations.
Mapping and identifying the field of proposed activities, the first International Conference in Paris
underscored that social work could not be constrained to individual cases but required broad-based
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interdisciplinary efforts to relieve suffering resulting from want (i.e., providing palliative assistance),(preventive assistance) and improveassistance).iii
The importance of individual practice was acknowledged, along with the need to promote legislative
and administrative measures targeting a group or community and coupled with research in the fields
of social well-being and social welfare. Attempting to delineate the field even further, the participantsat the Paris Conference underscored a link between the need to prevent or address social hardships
and the availability of resources for social purposes.iv There was agreement on the need for
professional qualifications and skills, but opinions among more than 2500 participants, who
represented a diverse group of social workers, health-care providers, welfare officers and otheractivists, differed as to the respective roles of the state and private institutions. The variety of views
was also reflected in the submissions of national committees and in publications of the executive
committee, even though there was agreement on the basic values of international social work practiceand the general directions as outlined above.
Since the first Conference, the importance of the thematic approach was recognized; the first priority-thirds of the participants at the Paris Conference
participants were women. The Conference elected a woman -- Alice Masarykova, the President of the
Czechoslovakian Red Cross -- as the first President of ICSW for four years. Doctor René Sand became
the first Secretary General of the International Conference on Social Work-- a post he held from 1928
to 1932, after the Provisional Preparatory Group of the Paris Conference transformed itself in 1928v

The aim of this move was to capitalize on the positive momentum and translate the wealth of ideasthat had emerged at the first Conference into practice so as to continue its activities without any
interruption. René Sand became President in 1936 and held that position until the outbreak of WorldWar II. Having become a permanent organization, the International Conference on Social Workrepresented national councils on social work and social welfare, promoting humanistic values andadvocating for disadvantaged population groups, and also assisting its members with information andconsultative work. At the same time, recognition of the substantial differences in approaches taken
at the national level and counterproductive responses to encouraging the same strategy for everyone
led to acceptance of the substantial autonomy of each organisation.vi
Before WWII two international conferences were convened with a four-year interval

in 1932 incaused by the Second World War. Since that time, the Global Conferences of ICSW have been held
periodically, initially every four years, and since 2010 every two years. Global Conferences on social
work and social development were organised through close collaboration among the ICSW,International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and International Federation of Social
Workers (IFSW) the three sister organisations as they have been termed.vii
The international conferences regularly convened by ICSW, either separately or together with IASSW
and IFSW, have dealt with recurring issues and new subjects that reflected political realities and deepchanges on the global scene. During the 1950s and1960s, the emergence of a large group of
developing countries as independent political actors facing entirely new social and economic
challenges caused ICSW to recast its agenda on socio-economic development so as to encompass
social rights, social welfare and well-being, including dominant policy discourses around the:improvement of the lives of those living in poverty, participation, social cohesion, community
development, and the growing significance of social services. These have become a constant featureof the global discourses on social issues, gradually expanding the scope and objectives of social
welfare goals, analysing the interaction of key actors and presenting analysis of policy instruments.
viii
The membership of the ICSW expanded, as national councils from many developing countries in
Asia, Africa and Latin America became members.
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Organizational adjustments followed, and in 1966, the ICSW which until then was known as the-- without having to change in its English acronym, ICSW. Commenting onthat change, Kate Katzki, the Secretary General ix of the ICSW from 1967 to 1988, underscored thefact that ICSW could no longer focus on only one single goal, namely, serving as an international
forum for discussion among social workers.x The name change reflected the profound structuralchanges in the organization, the growing diversification in its activities and the higher political profile
sought by the ICSW leadership.
Evolving structure and organization of activities
According to the Constitution of the International Council on Social Welfare xi
non-governmental, non-political, non-sectarian and non-profit organization which represents a wide
range of national and international member organizations that seek to advance social justice, socialxii

The primary objectives of the Council are as follows: Promote forms of social and economic
development which aim to reduce poverty, hardship and vulnerability, especially amongst
disadvantaged people; strive for recognition and realization of fundamental rights to employment,
income, food, shelter, education, health care and security; promote equality of opportunity, freedomof expression, freedom of association, participation and access to human services and oppose
discrimination; promote policies and programmes which strike an appropriate balance between socialand economic goals and which respect cultural diversity; strengthen civil society throughout the world
to achieve these objectives; seek implementation of these objectives by governments, internationalorganizations and non-governmental agencies in cooperation with its network of Member
Organizations.xiii
The General Assembly, which adopts the four year global programme and the two-year budget
framework, is the supreme governing body of the Council, electing the President, Vice-President,
Treasurer and other members of the Management Committee, responsible for all matters not
specifically allocated under the Constitution to the General Assembly or to the Supervisory andAdvisory Board, which comprises the Regional Presidents, the President, the Vice President and theTreasurer. It is entrusted with supervision and monitoring the Management Committee, creating andamending the By-Laws, and establishing and restructuring regions.xiv .
While the ICSW is a worldwide non-governmental organization with regional structures, it is not amass organization, and only one national council from each country can be accepted into
membership. The regional organizations are indigenous to the regions. The regions play an activerole, but membership is assumed directly with the international headquarters, and not via regions.
The ICSW is a unified organization that could be compared to an amalgam rather than a mosaic as
far as its membership is concerned. xv
The regional structure is established under the By-Laws, and regions have their own decision-making
bodies, as well as their own programmes of activities. Each member, with the exception ofInternational Member Organizations, is allocated to a region by the Board for the purposes of theallocation of membership fees, and each member is entitled to the same rights in the region as
globally. At the same time, there is substantial organizational flexibility - any member organization
is able to cooperate with any member organization in other regions, as well as, by agreement,
participation in other regional meetings, activities and ICSW structures. Regional General Assemblies
and other regional organs have been established under global and regional by-laws.xvi Some regional
entities have their own legal status separate from the ICSW.
The President of the ICSW is the highest elected official and representative of the Council and iselected to a single four-year term, without the possibility of a second consecutive term. In his capacityof the strategic leader of the organization, the President sets overall direction and proposes innovative
Page 3 of 9policy solutions, maintaining interaction with other partners and stakeholders at the regional andglobal levels.
The ICSW Executive Director is responsible for implementing the decisions of the General Assembly,
Board and Management Committee and for keeping the Management Committee informed on issues
that are important to the proper functioning of the organization. The Executive Director combines
supervision of the day-to-day operations of the Global Office with substantive outreach activities,
editing the Global Cooperation Newsletter published by ICSW in English, French and Spanish, andmaintaining links with various partners, including other NGOs and intergovernmental organizations.
ICSW has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC),ILO and other UN agencies. This status enables the ICSW to address UN bodies through broad-basedstatements and advocacy, participate in the intergovernmental discussions and present
ramme is a strategic frameworkof the organization designed to operate at the global, regional and national levels, setting the goals
and umbrella policy for the Council's operations for 4 years.
Expanding the scope of work at the global level
Over the years, the priorities of the ICSW have been changing, reflecting the political changes in theworld, the development and refinement of a global perspective in its work, as well as the growing
awareness of the need to reconcile social and economic policy. In the face of the progressing
integration and liberalization of the world economy and the new intensity of international competition- with its profound, and not necessarily positive effect on social spending, including reduction of socialtransfers and of the delivery of social services - the welfare situation has varied significantly fromone region to another. More recently, growing inequality between and within countries has becomea pressing issue at the national level and internationally, creating a new impetus for civil society
organizations, including ICSW, to raise their voice on behalf of persons and groups left behind andmarginalized.
The development discourse has also not been static. Human development has emerged as one of thecentral concepts in international development since the early 1990s, supported not only by civilsociety but also by many governments and international organizations. The need to view people as
the ends of development as well as its means, to focus on both poor and poorest people, and toprioritize capability-enhancing services (such as food security, education and health), and themultidimensional conceptualization of human well-being and poverty have shifted the focus of many
economists and policy-makers away from the earlier emphasis on per-capita economic growth as thesole indicator of socio-economic progress. The 1990s marked a watershed in the evolution of ideas
about poverty reduction. xvii
At the onset of the 1980s, ICSW had three core priorities: convening conferences and ensuring spacefor discussions, providing support to national committees, and building stronger relations with theUnited Nations. The situation changed in late 1980s and early 1990s, when a more comprehensive
agenda emerged both at ICSW headquarters and in the regions. In the 1980s, a gradual shift in thexviii.
A deliberate and consistent move was made in the 1970s and 1980s to go beyond social work andactivities. The interdisciplinary and holistic nature of the ICSW approach to development thinking
formed after the Second World War and was vividly demonstrated at ICSW global conferences. The
ICSW has been invited to take part in numerous conferences, expert group meetings, researchseminars and other events of international significance, to share its experiences and to provide
substantial inputs. Its global image was strongly reinforced during the preparation of the World
Summit for Social Development (WSSD) convened in Copenhagen in 1995.
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The World Summit for Social Development represented an important political threshold for the ICSW,not only in terms of opportunities to contribute to the outcome documents but also the fact that it
became an important benchmark for ICSW-affiliated organizations during the implementation phase;in many ways ICSW activities in the post-Summit period became aligned with the Ten Commitments
made in Copenhagen and the recommendations of the Plan of Action adopted at the Summit. The
principles of social justice, equity and equitable societies -- high on the WSSD Agenda -- are sharedby the ICSW, which has been striving for many years to put these principles into practice on the
ground and promote them in high-level international forums. Creating an environment to enableachievement of social development, eradicating poverty through decisive national action andinternational cooperation, promoting full employment as a basic priority, and fostering stable, safeand just societies to promote social integration all the commitments that emerged at the Summit
have been taken on board as guiding principles by the ICSW in its own activities. In the wake of the2000 Millennium Summit and the subsequent adoption of the MDGs, ICSW actively supported
advocacy and multilateral policy efforts at the national, regional and global levels to improve thehuman condition in a systematic and concerted way.
Promoting social protection-- seen by ICSW as one of the pillars of a forward-looking social policy
aimed at securing universal access to social services and basic income-- has become one of the key
priorities and recurrent themes in ICSW advocacy efforts. The shift away from universal, publicly
provided social protection schemes to needs-tested targeted assistance, which became evident withspread of neo-liberal economic policies encouraged by the international financial institutions, hasbeen extremely painful for many societies. ICSW efforts have sought to draw attention to theexistence of positive alternatives to targeting, and the detrimental dimensions for well-being of theprinciples of the universal public provision of basic social services and basic income, in other words
tect people against contingencies and risks,along with the developmental and social justice functions of social protection, is well known xix andhas always been underscored by the ICSW in its policy statements at various fora.
The new impetus to these efforts was provided when the ILO Recommendation 202 on national floorsof social protection was unanimously adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 101 st
session in 2012. There is increasing recognition of the fact that the implementation of nationallydefined social protection floors (SPFs) may be regarded as an important tool in the fight against
poverty and inequality. A rights-based approach aimed at protecting women, men and children fromrisks and vulnerabilities helps to sustain their well-being throughout the lifecycle, guaranteeing accessto health care and other basic services, as well as at least a basic level of income security. The ICSW
has supported the Social Protection Floor Initiatives of the United Nations, one of its nine initiatives
to cope with the global financial crisis, since its inception by the United Nations in 2009.xx
Partnerships
Joining forces with more than 80 other NGOs, the ICSW formed a Global Coalition for Social Protection
Floors, which has an increasingly important role to play in shaping the debate, raising awareness,achieving a national consensus on policy priorities and monitoring the progress of SPFs. The Coalition
played a major role in promoting the role of social protection in the current process of formulating
the new development goals for the post -2015 development agenda (when the existing Millennium
Development Goals expire). The ICSW was one of the co-authors of a joint statement of the Global
Coalition demanding a stand-alone development goal on social protection. But the coalition with NGO
partners is not the only joint effort undertaken by ICSW in connection with social protection
promotion. Among a limited number of other international NGOs the ICSW has been invited to takepart in the work of the Social Protection Inter-Agency Cooperation Board, which was created at thebehest of G-20 and is chaired jointly by the ILO and the World Bank. The Board has been instrumental
in developing conceptual tools for the performance assessment and optimisation of the operation ofnational social protection systems, and in future will probably play a major role in inter-agency
Page 5 of 9technical advisory work at the country level, cooperation in the field of social protection statistics andother key issues linked to social protection promotion.
Another important partnership was formed by the ICSW at the UN with civil society organizations
working to promote the rights of older persons. The ICSW has been closely collaborating with the
Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People, voicing its support for the elaboration of a new legal
international instrument to protect the rights of older persons.
Apart from ties built within the UN environment, the ICSW has also built a strong collaboration andpartnerships with sister organizations which have the same historical roots namely with the IASSW
and IFSW. The three organizations work together to produce the International Social Work journal,
and collaborate in organizing joint world conferences on social work and social development issues
every two years. The conferences such as the forthcoming Joint World Conference in Melbourne,
Australia in July 2014 provide ample opportunities for the stakeholders to discuss issues which thesocial work and social welfare sectors face on everyday basis and to ensure a closer link between
evidence-based practice, policy objectives and social development goals. Furthermore, the joint
global conferences have revealed how actions geared on accomplishing the priority goals of the joint
Global Agenda adopted by ICSW together with IASSW and IFSW might impact on the conditions ofpeople and demonstrate how actions by the social work and social development community cancontribute to an enduring physical environment, promote compliance with a range of climate related
policies and measures, and help raise awareness and build capacity among practitioners regarding
the imperatives of sustainable development.
Coming together in Paris in mid-November 2012 to consider specific actions in the context of theimplementation of the Global Agenda, the three partner organizations decided to establish a Global
Agenda Observatory to gather evidence about the activities of social workers, educators and social
development practitioners who support the implementation of the Global Agenda and to give visibility
and credibility to their contributions and promote further action. This new entity is structured aroundthe four themes of the Global Agenda commencing with the theme of promoting social and economic
equalities. The themes to be covered in subsequent years include: promoting the dignity and worthof people, working toward environmental sustainability and strengthening recognition of theimportance of human relationships. A focus on ensuring an appropriate environment for practice andeducation will be maintained throughout. xxi
Regional and national activities
At the regional level, the ICSW seeks to increase the consideration of social development by regionalgroupings of governments; at the same time, at the national level, the ICSW works to strengthen theability of national councils to influence social policy and programmes in their respective countries,
taking into account local conditions and priorities of national socio-economic development.
Activities covered by the national councils are wide ranging, but within the remit of the ICSW Global
Programme. For example, in 2012-2013, the regional activities of the ICSW-affiliated organizationsin Latin America concentrated on the affordability of social protection and the feasibility of the social
protection floor initiative, exploring new tools and policy measures. In Asia, activities covered issuesof the applicability and affordability of social protection schemes to the specific regions (South Asia),
highlighted the importance of partnerships and collaboration among governments and NGOs on social
policy and welfare matters (South-East Asia and the Pacific), and explored challenges of ageing andlong-term care (North-East Asia).
ICSW Europe has convened seminars to explore the situation of the working poor -- people who havebeen pushed into the lower end of the job market. Their plight represents a growing concern incountries at all levels of development, including economies in transition and developed-market
economies. The applicability of the Social Protection Floors Initiative in the European context was
explored at the seminar convened in March 2014 in Rennes, France. The participants analysed thePage 6 of 9merits of the existing systems of social protection in Europe, highlighting at the same time the gapsthat need to be plugged and the policy measures that should be taken.
In June 2013, the ICSW in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region organized a high-level
Forum on the importance of national civil dialogue, where issues of social inclusion and participationsociety are heard, giving real substance to the concept of citizenship and democracy. The event was
extensively covered by the regional press and other mass mediaxxii. In May 2014, the MENA regional
conference convened by ICSW in Rabat together with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung concentrated on the
problematic of social cohesion and comparison of experiences in this area in the Arab world. In the
African region, ICSW activities focused on capacity-building, promoting partnerships and addressing
resource mobilization issues.xxiii
In North America, major efforts have been undertaken by ICSW to promote social inclusion, social
cohesion and active citizenship (e.g. in Canada). Much remains to be done, given that the meaningof social welfare in this part of the world is often interpreted as a mere dependency, providing apretty narrow perspective.
The ICSW training programme to strength national councils is an integral part of its ongoing work,
representing a combination of bottom-up and top-down efforts. Apart from capacity-development,
training sessions organized by ICSW provide opportunities to strengthen existing links with theacademic community and to build new knowledge-based networks.
Looking forward
As the ICSW looks back over its past 85 years of history, the organization recognizes not only its
achievements, but also the multiple challenges. First of all, we need to retain and reinforce an identify
of our own, using our unique experiences to advance the goals that we all share. ICSW is known as
the organization of social development practitioners; we should make sure that it is also known asan organization of top-notch professionals in the social policy field, working at the forefront ofconceptual thinking, advocacy and training. Second, we should continue our work in creating aquality space for discussion on the most acute and highly relevant policy issues in every region where
we work, as well as at the global level. In this light, our regional and global cooperation Newsletters
could play a most important role serving as an organizing and binding medium for members, and asa platform informing members of ongoing activities and facilitating the dissemination of bestpractices. With the further development of information technology, the updating of the regional andglobal websites becomes equally important, as it is complimentary with the dissemination of theNewsletters that we publish. And last but not the least we should not hesitate to revisit andrecalibrate the tools we use in our work, particularly regarding monitoring the impact of ourorganizational activities and ensuring our financial sustainability.
The number of non-governmental organizations dealing with social development issues has
mushroomed during the last twenty years. For the ICSW, retaining its influence and finding a nichein the new international environment require much professionalism and dedication, and a constantquest for meaningful, innovative and cost-effective policies.
ICSW is well positioned to act as the connector, convenor and knowledge broker, binding together
issues and regions, and mobilizing partners along shared priorities that will shape progressive socialand economic policies across the global village.
The author is grateful to Michael Cichon, the President of the ICSW and Peggy Taillon, the Presidentof the ICSW North American Region for helpful comments on the draft of the article.
References

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Among these, the name of the Belgian doctor, scientist and educator, René Sand (1877-1953)
stands out. In 1921, he became Secretarywas created in 1919. Sand endorsed the idea of a large-scale world forum on social welfare in
1923, thereby reviving a proposal floated earlier by Dr. Clotilde Mulon at the 46 th US Conference forSocial Work. Julia Lathrop, the President of the National Conference for Social Work, invited René
Sand to address the 50th American Conference on the issue of international cooperation, where he
was able to generate a positive reaction to the idea.
i.

s en santé publique, Rennes, 2008, p. 14

ii-2008).Pressesiii. Macdonald, John, The International Council on Social Welfare. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,a Short History , ICSW, New York, 1975, p.7
iv. Premiere Conference international du service social, Paris, 1928, tome I, 1929, Statuts, pp.25,
172v

erteke Waaldijk (eds), History of Social Work in
Europe (1900-1960): Female Pioneers and their influence on the Development of International
Social Organizations. Leke+Budrich, Opladen, 2003, p.120
vi
6
In 1929, an International Committee of Schools of Social Work was established to giveprominence to the specific needs of social work education, explore best practices and facilitate
international cooperation; the first Conference of IASSW was held in 1929 in Berlin. The first
Conference of IFSW was held in 1956 in Munich, at the same time as the ICSW conference ( see:vii

Wood with

viii

University Press, 2004, p.22
ix
x
xi.The most recent Constitution was adopted by the Committee of Representatives on 29 December
2007, and amended on 14 June 2010. The Committee of Representatives itself was given a newxii. The ICSW Constitution, clause 1
xiii

Ibid, clause 1

xiv. Ibid, clause 9,10 and 11
xv. ICSW membership is classified into several different categories. Category A covers national
committees having a broadly-based membership in their respective countries and seeking toenhance social justice, social welfare, social work and social development in that country. Category
Page 8 of 9

B is reserved for international non-governmental organizations trying to achieve the same
objectives. Categories C and D are intended for civil society organizations that cannot claim to workon a full range of issues and be the key party representing social welfare issues in the country, but
seeking to enhance social justice, social welfare, social work and social development anyway ( The
ICSW Constitution, Clauses 5-7).
xvi. The ICSW Constitution, clause 8
xvii. For more details: David Hulme, The making of the Millennium Development Goals: Human
Development meets Results-based Management in an Imperfect World . The University ofManchester, Brook World Poverty Institute, December 2007, page 2
xviii. Le
Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Report on the World Social Situation 2001, United
Nations, New York, 2001, p.217

xix

xx. See the ICSW Statement on Poverty eradication, Commission for Social Development, Fiftiethsession
The Global Agenda Observatory is conceived as a mechanism for monitoring and reporting on theimplementation of the Agenda Commitments and will consist of networks or consortia composed of
institutions of higher education and professional/practice-based organizations that jointly conduct
research, analyse, synthesize and report on Agenda activities. It also involves a process that will
evolve over time. It aspires to establish a strong, credible monitoring mechanism over the next 10
years. The Global Agenda Observatory will be established at the local, national, regional andinternational levels, working through the existing structures and work plans, taking into
consideration the existing priorities of each of our organizations.
xxii. Le Matin, Rabat, 13 Juine 2013xxi

One of the most innovative projects in the context of promoting North-South partnerships is thejoint project between the Tanzanian Council for Social Development ( TACOSODE) and the Finnish
Federation for Social Welfare and Health ( STKL, recently renamed SOSTE), which aims at regional
capacity-building programmes to strengthen national councils so that they can be effective
advocates for social development and poverty reduction

xxiii

The content of this Global Newsletter may be freely reproduced or cited provided the source isacknowledged. Views do not necessarily represent policies of ICSW.
Newsletter Editor: Sergei Zelenev, Executive Director
Address: ICSW, 5700 Arlington Ave., Bronx, New York, 10471 (US Office) P.O Box 28957, Plot 4,
Berkeley Lane, Off Lugard Avenue,
Entebbe, (Uganda Office)Phone: +1 347-526- 4893, + 256414321150
E-mail: szelenev@icsw.org, icsw@icsw.org
Website www.icsw.org;
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