Following the granting of United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) consultative status in August 2025, the ICSD has appointed seven representatives along with the ICSD’s President to direct, coordinate and strengthen its participation in United Nations social development processes.
Professor Manohar Pawar has been appointed as the ICSD’s Focal Point Representative. A former President of the ICSD and Professor of Social Work at Charles Sturt University in Australia, he will provide leadership and help coordinate the organisation’s participation in UN processes.
Li Zou will represent the ICSD on the NGO Committee for Social Development. She is Director of International Programs at the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis (an ICSD Institutional Member) and has been actively involved in the Committee since February 2025. She currently co-chairs its Education Subcommittee and serves as a member-at-large on its Board.
The regional representatives are:
- Dr Raj Yadav, Senior Lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia (Asia Pacific)
- Dr Hans Kolstad, a philosopher and long-standing member of the ICSD European Branch, based in Denmark and Norway (Europe)
- Professor Jo Ann Regan, Dean of the National Catholic School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America (Americas)
- Dr Mashidiso Sello, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg (Africa)
Together, the representatives will form the ICSD–UN Engagement Subcommittee. The team will coordinate the implementation of the strategy, monitor relevant UN developments, build partnerships and coalitions, facilitate regional and member participation, report on progress, and communicate opportunities and activities to the ICSD’s members and branches.
ICSD President, Leila Patel said: “Congratulations to our new representatives. This marks a new phase in the ICSD’s engagement in global social development processes”.
A key priority for the sub-committee will be expanding opportunities for ICSD members to participate in UN processes through written and oral statements, side events, collaborative research, regional initiatives and communication platforms. The ICSD will also work with like-minded organisations to strengthen its visibility, influence and evidence-based advocacy.
The appointments form part of the ICSD’s guidelines for UN engagement over the next three years. The strategy provides a structured and practical framework for contributing to global social policy dialogue, particularly through the UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD) and the NGO Committee for Social Development (NGO CSocD).
The sub-committee will also focus on actionable solutions to implement the Doha Political Declaration adopted at the Second World Summit for Social Development and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This work aligns closely with the ICSD’s mission to eradicate poverty, promote social equality and social integration, and advance ecological sustainability.