IFSW has been granted Special Consultative Status by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In addition, IFSW is working with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The commission supports IFSW representatives and IFSW members to act as facilitators and bridging the gaps between community’s aspirations and UN agendas. At the same time, the knowledge of the UN’s work shall flow back to the IFSW board and the IFSW members with the goal to create a partnership and realising a social change.
Objectives of the IFSW representation to the UN
The overarching objective of IFSW representations to the UN is to represent a social work perspective to the UN and the UN Agencies and to work towards joint action based on social work principles. Representatives will highlight the social solutions that can be achieved through applying the profession’s principles and methodologies as a framework for achieving social justice, inclusive participatory democracy, sustainable peaceful societies, social transformation for equality and rights. Representatives are bound to constitution, definition, ethical principles and the policies of IFSW.
The Commission and the representations work as a part of the wider IFSW body and the work of all Representatives should link with the above objective, vision and work agenda of IFSW UN Commission. Representatives are requested to focus on one or two themes (such as children’s rights, health…) that are relevant for global social work and coordinated within the Commission. Representatives work should also be guided by:
- the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development,
- the definition of social work
- the constitution of IFSW
- the ethical principles
- the IFSW policies
Meet IFSW United Nations Commissioners
IFSW Pays Tribute to Long Standing UN Representative Ellen Mouravieff-Apostol.
Email Priska Fleischlin
Global United Nations Commissioner
Short bio: Priska Fleischlin has been appointed as the first IFSW UN Commission after the General meeting, during its meeting in Dublin 2018, has agreed to build up an UN Commission. Her main first responsibilities is to building IFSW capacity, by building a global team with sub teams in each region and the UN headquarters. Furthermore, the capacity within the UN shall be enlarged and awareness within the UN agencies on social workers be increased.
Priska Fleischlin holds a Master of Science in Social Work Priska Fleischlin graduated with a Masters of Science in Social Work in Lucerne, Switzerland. Her Bachelor and Master Thesis were focused on the ‘Social Worker’s Empowerment in developing aid’ and ‘Cohesion in transnational transdisciplinary Project-Teams.’ Concerning the latter topic, she also analyzed the conversation of virtual meetings. She is an experienced social worker and is CEO at a swiss NGO working in the field of care farming.
In her function as UN Commissioner she is focussing on the Agenda 2030 and building partnerships with UN Agencies.
Email Charles Mbugua
Africa Main Representative/ Regional UN Commissioner
Main area of work at the UN:
Short description of work at the UN: Charles Mbugua is a front line social work practitioner in Kenya. He has a long experience in the practice, having worked with National Christian Council of Kenya, World Council of Churches, Local and Central Government in Kenya, World Vision International, Economic Commission for Africa and as a private practitioner within the countries of the Great Lakes Region.
He is the immediate past President of International Federation of Social Workers in Africa, a founder member and Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Organization for Social Work. As the IFSW Main Representative at the UN in Nairobi, he was, alongside others instrumental in agitating for the changing of Rules of Procedure and engagement, a change which paved way for the formation of the World Urban Forum
Email Vacant
Asia – Pacific Main Representative/ Regional UN Commissioner
Main area of work at the UN:
Short description of work at the UN:
Email Vacant
Latina America and The Caribbean Main Representative/ Regional UN Commissioner
Main area of work at the UN:
Short description of work at the UN:
Email Dr Michael Cronin
North America Main Representative/ Regional UN Commissioner
Main area of work at the UN: Ageing, Family
Short description of work at the UN: Dr. Cronin is an Associate Professor at the Monmouth University School of Social Work in West Long Branch, NJ in the USA. In addition to teaching, he coordinates the International & Community Development Concentration of the Master’s in Social Work (MSW) program at Monmouth. Dr. Cronin holds a PhD from Yeshiva University and a MS in Social Work from Columbia University. His research interests and publications are in international social work, health care and social policy, disaster management, social gerontology, humanitarian law, cultural competence and diversity.
Dr. Cronin serves in a leadership capacity to several domestic and international organizations. In addition to his work for IFSW, he serves on the Executive Committee of CIF International and was a past program participant in the Netherlands in 1990. Dr. Cronin has volunteered as a disaster mental health leader with the American Red Cross in Greater New York since 1996. He is a nationally certified instructor and is the Chapter’s representative for international disaster mental health collaboration and was invited to be a Roster Member of the International Psychosocial Support Team for the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies.
Read more about IFSW at the UN
- 2019. Report on the Learning Session on High Level Political Forum 2019
- IFSW’s history of working at the UN, its issues and implications.
- World Social Work Day at the United Nations (WSWD).
If you wish to make a suggestion for an IFSW Statement, please contact the main representative of the location.
Statements
- 2019 IFSW Statement on International Women’s Day 8 March 2019
- 2018 Statement on Human Rights Day
- 2018 Statement on Global Compact on Migration
Reports
