The IFSW Announces Departure of Secretary General Dr. Rory Truell Following a Transformative 15-Year Tenure
President Joachim Mumba honors Dr. Truell’s legacy of global expansion, indigenous inclusion, and systemic impact as contract concludes due to a prolonged period of incapacity arising from ill health.
RHEINFELDEN, SWITZERLAND: On 7 June 2026, Joachim Mumba, President of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), announced that the IFSW Executive had made the difficult decision to bring the Secretary-General’s contract to an end following a prolonged period of incapacity arising from ill health. Over his 15 remarkable years as Secretary General of IFSW, Dr. Rory Truell spearheaded an era in which the social work profession became significantly more inclusive, unified, and globally influential. His last official day of employment was 31 May 2026.
Under Dr. Truell’s stewardship and strategic management, the Federation’s global membership doubled. Crucially, he rebalanced the axis of the organization, shifting it from historical Global North dominance to a model of truly equitable global representation and grassroots participation. During his tenure as Secretary-General, IFSW secured vital United Nations recognition of social work as an essential reference point for global social development. His tenure was defined by historic cross-sector coalitions, bringing together international faiths, trade unions, youth organizations, and global social movements representing hundreds of millions of people to co-develop the landmark People’s Charter for a New Eco-Social World. Furthermore, Dr. Truell expertly coordinated the global social work response during the COVID-19 pandemic, championing the development of safe, resilient, and leaderful communities.
Tributes from Past and Present IFSW Global Presidents
Professor Gary Bailey (IFSW President, 2010–2014)
| “The Executive voted unanimously to appoint Rory Truell as our Secretary-General of IFSW because of his extraordinary record of social work practice and his demonstrated leadership at both local and international levels. What stood out was not only his vision, but his ability to translate that vision into meaningful action. Rory was instrumental in bringing the Global Agenda from an idea and concept into a global reality. He co-developed the world’s first bicultural social work degree, bringing together Indigenous and Western approaches in a way that was truly ground-breaking and ahead of its time. We recognized in him a leader who could help shape the future of the profession globally. The remarkable growth, influence, and impact of IFSW under his leadership have affirmed that this was the right choice. Dr. Truell’s commitment to innovation, inclusion, and social justice has left a lasting mark on our profession and on social workers around the world.” |
Ruth Stark (IFSW President, 2014–2018)
| “By co-working with Rory over these years, I had the great experience of reinstating the importance of everyday practice experience and knowledge into the federation. He particularly shaped how we could together increase our contribution to wider society at the global level through the visibility of IFSW, particularly with governments and the UN. He created the space for social workers at the frontline who are members of the Federation to put their hearts and principles into practice. He did this by demonstrating through his videos showing his interaction with people in their communities during his visits around the world. Rory challenged the profession to recognise people’s strengths and encourage storytelling that enhanced our duty to work with all people with dignity and respect. The work we undertook in highlighting the role of social workers in conflict situations and peacebuilding linked back to the origins of IFSW in post-war social development in the 1920s and its revival in the 1950s.” |
Dr. Silvana Martinez (IFSW President, 2018–2022)
| “I want to thank Rory for working with the Latin American and global south to reset the balance within IFSW and to challenge its colonial past. This was highlighted by the election of the first Latin American global president, followed by the election of the first African global president, as we approach the centenary of IFSW in 2028. Through Rory’s strategic management during the COVID-19 pandemic, IFSW developed more inclusive ways of working through online engagement, including the 2020 conference, which was delivered within six weeks and attracted more than 20,000 registrations, the largest social work gathering ever held. This grew into the development of the People’s Global Summit, which brought together multiple global bodies, community leaders, faiths and heads of state to co-develop the People’s Global Charter for an Eco Social World and actions that we can do together. Rory, the vision holder and co-facilitator along with UNRISD, shaped a new reference point in global social development and recognition of the role of social work by the United Nations.” |
Joachim Mumba (Current IFSW President, 2022–Present)
| “IFSW will miss Rory’s diplomacy, particularly in situations of conflict. As the first African president of IFSW, I want to acknowledge Rory’s achievement in shifting IFSW’s axis from the global north to be more inclusive of the south. This includes incorporating indigenous knowledge, philosophies, and language, leading to hope and harmony as a vision for our role as social workers in our communities. His ability to run a global organisation on minimal resources has been spectacular. He leaves IFSW with a significantly increased operational capacity in a sound condition and with a strong vision for the future. On behalf of the executive, we wish him a quick recovery and return to good health.” |
Selected Media and Resources Documenting Dr. Truell’s Impact
- The Guardian Article Series: A curation of short articles showcasing frontline social work examples of excellence compiled from a variety of global contexts.
- COVID-19 Open-Access Publication: A free comprehensive book exploring how global social work methodology rapidly adapted to the operational realities of COVID-19.
- Field Video Documentation (Tehran): A documentary feature mapping a groundbreaking model for the treatment of addictions in Tehran, Iran. (Extensive practitioner interviews available on the official IFSW YouTube channel).
- United Nations Keynote Address: Video recording of Dr. Truell’s official speech delivered on World Social Work Day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
- The People’s Global Summit & Charter: Official portal for The People’s Summit for a New Eco-Social World, co-facilitated by Dr. Truell alongside UNRISD, featuring the complete text of the People’s Charter for a New Eco-Social World.
Note on Publications: Dr. Rory Truell has also published and written extensively throughout his career on economic justice, reframing and balancing human rights from an integrated social work perspective, co-building community framework models that work beyond traditional service dependencies, and articulating social work’s fundamental role in global peacebuilding. Many of these scholarly articles and book chapters are available via major open-access online repositories.
Media Contact:
Office of the President
International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)