Ten years have passed since the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, with the promise to “leave no one behind.” Social workers across the world have witnessed both the limited progress made and the catastrophic shortcomings in meeting these commitments.
Interconnected Goals
The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) has consistently affirmed that the SDGs are best achieved when the goals are truly understood as interconnected and interdependent. Poverty eradication is interconnected with climate action; gender equality is tied to decent work; peace and justice depend on strong institutions and inclusive communities. Social work practice highlights that transformative change is only possible when these connections are recognised and acted upon holistically with communities.
IFSW Action and Advocacy
Over the past decade, IFSW Representatives to the United Nations have contributed to global advocacy and dialogue through policy papers, position statements, and collaborative advocacy (read here). We have repeatedly called for urgent, accountable, and transformative action to co-create, with people from all communities of the world, the solutions to make the world fairer, safer, and more sustainable.
At the same time, many members of IFSW have worked with governments, civil society, and communities to underscore that the SDGs are usable in practice. As part of this work, the People’s Charter for an Eco-Social World (developed collectively with communities and endorsed by social workers globally) sets out an important vision that strengthens the SDGs with a people-centred framework. It calls for urgent political will, grounded in solidarity and mutual accountability to make the goals a reality. As Joachim Mumba, IFSW President, reiterates, ‘The ultimate measure of our progress is not in economic metrics alone, but in how equitably we uplift every human life. Inclusive development isn’t just a goal; it is the moral foundation of a shared global humanity, demanding that we prioritize the most marginalized in every policy and decision that we make’.
Call to Action
IFSW UN Representative (Asia-Pacific) Dr Sebastian Cordoba said, “Achieving the SDGs is still possible, but only with urgent and accountable action. The next five years must not repeat the last ten. The transformative potential of the goals can only be realised if states recommit to cooperation and accountability, strengthen community participation and address structural inequalities.”
Priska Fleischlin, IFSW Global UN Commissioner, remarked: ‘On the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations and during these times of compounding crises, the IFSW renews its call on world leaders to act decisively, guided by the voices of people and communities, and to uphold the principles enshrined in the SDGs, the Universal Declaration and the People’s Charter.”
Social workers continue to stand ready to work alongside all who are committed to peace, justice and sustainability.