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Side event at the UN site
On October 14, 2024, in the framework of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly Third Committee, the “National Alliance of Professional Social Workers” (NAPSW) held an important side-event on “Strengthening the human resource capacity of social services to protect women and children in Kazakhstan and the important role of the social work profession in achieving the SDGs”.
The event was organized to establish partnerships between the National Alliance of Professional Social Workers of Kazakhstan and the National Association of Social Workers and leading schools of social work in the United States.
During the event, key steps and recommendations were developed for the development of social work in Kazakhstan, which is an important tool for the implementation of the political agenda. In addition, the recommendations of the UN Committees on the Republic of Kazakhstan were studied, and the results obtained will further help in the formation of the next Human Rights Plan.
This event was organized by the government of Kazakhstan, in collaboration with the National Alliance of Professional Social workers and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations.
The event was attended by the UN and IFSW representatives, diplomats, experts from Central Asia and the United States, as well as representatives of NGOs. The moderator was Dinara Yessimova, PhD in Social Work, Scientific Coordinator of the SOLID project in Kazakhstan, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Professional Social Workers.
At the beginning of the event, a representative of the International Federation of Social Workers, Evelyn P. Tomaszewski, gave a welcoming speech:
“It is an honor to be here today and to extend a warm welcome from the International Federation of Social Workers in support of our member association and the dynamic members of the National Alliance of Professional Social Workers of Kazakhstan. The IFSW and social workers globally are committed to promoting human rights and building and just society and look forward to the opportunity to work collaboratively across sectors and communities to ensure the fulfillment of the SDGs. Colleagues - thank you for convening this important meeting – and creating an opportunity for such a diverse and notable participants to connect, listen, learn, and build partnerships for action.”
Among the speakers were also invited guests:
- Professor Michael Sherraden, Professor of Social Work, Department of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri - the author of the concept of CDA - children's unconditional transfers, implemented by one of the 40 countries - Kazakhstan, the country that, based on this study, initiated the policy National Fund for Children.
- Aytekin Huseynli, PhD in Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, spoke about the role of women leaders in promoting the protection of the rights of women and children.
- Anne S. Deepak, PhD, International Federation of Social Workers UN Representative New York, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Monmouth University.
During the side event, speakers discussed the importance of strengthening the human resources in social services to better protect vulnerable groups such as children and women. The participants emphasized the critical role of social workers in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in terms of equality, social justice, and human rights.
At the end of the event, participants formulated recommendations and proposed further steps to support professional associations of social workers, as well as legislative initiatives to protect women's and children's rights. They also discussed the implementation of current policies that benefit social work clients, including children, women, and families. Additionally, they highlighted the importance of macro-social work in achieving sustainable development goals and the role of the National Association for Human Rights Protection in Kazakhstan in this process.
