AASW Statement on the Membership of the Israeli Union of Social Workers in the International Federation of Social Workers

19 February 2026

On Wednesday 18 February 2026, a Special General Meeting (SGM) was held by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). The recommendation to hold a Special General Meeting had been put to the IFSW by the European Division with the requisite number of countries supporting the holding of an SGM. Member organisations including the AASW were asked to vote on whether the Israeli Union of Social Workers (IUSW) should remain a member of the IFSW, be expelled, or have its membership suspended because of allegations about its activities in Gaza. Following careful consideration, members voted against the motion to suspend or expel.

The IFSW is the worldwide professional body for social workers, representing over three million members across 143 countries. It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with special consultative status with the United Nations (UN) and other global agencies. The Special General Meeting was convened after a number of member organisations formally submitted motions raising concerns.

The AASW Board representing Australia as an IFSW member state, met and could not reach consensus on whether Australian Social Workers should participate in the SGM. As a result, the meeting of the Board was suspended. A second ‘out of meeting’ circular motion was put to the Board that Australia register to participate in the SGM without any commitment to vote on the draft Resolution, again a majority of the Board did not support this proposal and as a consequence Australia did not participate in the SGM.

As a professional association with a diverse community of social workers, we are committed to representing the voices of our members who hold a wide range of worldviews.  We recognise the significance of maintaining a clear and unified voice. Given that the Israeli and Palestinian conflict is a longstanding, and one that many AASW members have strongly held positions on, it is important that we ensure no group feels marginalised. Where a single and unified position cannot be determined and agreement cannot be reached on important but divisive social issues, we lean into our values of respect for diversity and professional integrity by communicating transparently with Members and by remaining accountable for our decisions. However, in so doing we emphasise that social work as an international profession shares an ethical framework that supports non-violence and world peace.

The AASW recognises the efforts of the IUSW and the Palestinian Union of Social Workers and Psychologists (PUSWP) to remain engaged with the IFSW and encourages the IFSW to continue upholding procedural fairness, ensuring consistent, rigorous, and principled approaches across all member organisations where social workers are operating in contexts of mass conflict and grave human rights concerns.

Learn more about the IFSW and its role here: https://www.ifsw.org/about-ifsw/what-we-do

Learn more about the Specialist General Meeting, access the background and papers here: https://www.ifsw.org/special-general-meeting-2026