Left to right: Camille Naef, Pascal Rudin, Eva Ponce de Leon, Nadia Bisang
During her visit to Switzerland, IFSW President Eva Ponce de Leon, accompanied by IFSW Interim Secretary-General Pascal Rudin, met with representatives of AvenirSocial, the Swiss Association of Social Workers, to discuss professional ethics, the recognition of social work, human rights and opportunities for closer collaboration.
The IFSW delegation was warmly welcomed by Nadia Bisang, Co-Secretary General of AvenirSocial, and Camille Naef, Research Officer.
Founded in 2005, AvenirSocial represents around 4,000 members across Switzerland. Its work encompasses social policy, international policy, professional policy and ethics. The association represents the interests of social workers at regional, federal and international levels and is committed to the principles of human rights and social justice for a caring society.
AvenirSocial also works to strengthen professional identity and serves as a recognised centre of expertise in social work, following current developments and providing the profession with knowledge, arguments and policy positions.
“It was inspiring to see how AvenirSocial connects professional identity, ethics, human rights and political engagement. Many of the issues discussed today are not unique to Switzerland; they are part of a wider conversation about how we strengthen social work as a profession and ensure that our values remain relevant in rapidly changing societies. I am particularly pleased that we identified concrete opportunities to deepen the relationship between AvenirSocial and IFSW,” said Eva Ponce de Leon, IFSW Global President.
Renewing social work ethics
A key focus of the meeting was AvenirSocial’s new Code of Ethics for Social Work, launched earlier this year. Based on the Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles, the new Code was developed through a participatory and bilingual process in French and German, with an Italian translation underway.
The revised Code also addresses emerging areas of professional responsibility, including environmental sustainability, digitalisation and artificial intelligence.
The exchange was particularly timely as IFSW, together with its partner the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), is beginning the process of reviewing the Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles. Delegates discussed both the substantive developments reflected in AvenirSocial’s new Code and the participatory process through which it was developed. The experiences and insights gained through AvenirSocial’s review provide valuable learning on how established ethical principles can be revisited in response to changing professional, social, environmental and technological realities.
This creates an important connection between developments at national and global levels: AvenirSocial’s Code draws on the existing Global Statement, while the learning generated through its recent revision can now contribute back to the evolution of the profession’s global ethical framework.
Strengthening recognition of social work in Switzerland
The meeting also addressed the continuing challenge of the lack of professional regulation of social work in Switzerland. AvenirSocial highlighted that around 48% of people working in social work positions do not have professional training in social work.
AvenirSocial is campaigning to strengthen the recognition of professional qualifications and the identity of social work. Alongside its advocacy, the association provides training for social workers and institutions on topics including social work and political engagement.
Earlier this year, AvenirSocial also launched a Charter for Ecosocial Social Work in Switzerland, reflecting its commitment to connecting social justice, human rights and environmental sustainability.
“We see our role as building a bridge between international and Swiss social work: making international developments and shared principles relevant to the Swiss context, while also bringing our own experiences and professional policy work – such as the development of our new Code of Ethics – into the international dialogue. For us, collaboration is therefore not a one-way process, but an opportunity for mutual learning and development,” said Nadia Bisang, Co-Secretary General of AvenirSocial.
Building stronger connections between Swiss and global social work
The delegates explored practical opportunities for strengthening cooperation between AvenirSocial and IFSW.
AvenirSocial’s International Commission already makes an important contribution to IFSW’s international work, with three Swiss social workers representing IFSW at the United Nations in Geneva. Their proximity to the UN institutions provides an important connection between professional social work in Switzerland and IFSW’s global advocacy.
The discussion considered how this collaboration could be expanded through future projects and initiatives. Delegates also explored opportunities to increase the visibility and exchange of knowledge between Swiss and international social work, including through reciprocal contributions to publications and journals produced by AvenirSocial and IFSW.
The meeting reaffirmed the value of connecting national professional associations with the global social work community. Both organisations expressed their interest in continuing the dialogue and identifying concrete opportunities to work together in advancing professional recognition, ethical practice, human rights and social justice in Switzerland and internationally.