The International and National Relations committee  advocates for our policy positions and represents IACD in international arenas such as the U.N. You will find out more about our work at the U.N. in the Drop Down Page on U.N. Advocacy. The committee is also responsible for supporting and building partnerships with regional and national community development networks and other bodies in order to strengthen our movement and profession.

Engaging with and trying to influence the global public policy agenda is a central role of IACD and holding our own position statements is an integral part of that work. The IACD Board and its committees consult members on the development of a policy position and the IACD International and National Relations (INR) committee advocates for our policy positions in international arenas such as the U.N. IACD has Consultative Status with ECOSOC,  https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/one of the six main organs of the United Nations established by the UN Charter in 1946 ECOSOC is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals.

Community development ideas have now been widely adopted by the UN and its agencies.  The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by U.N. member countries in 2015  recognise the critical importance of community capacity building. Through our work at various INGO consultations, IACD, along with other NGOs supportive of community development, had some influence on this agenda.

Our Policy Advocacy work also periodically takes place at a global Regional level such as the European Union. During the period when the EU was expanding its membership in central Europe and in latter years, over the issue of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East, IACD has sought to represent the community development voice.

2016/18 brought enormous geo-political change with a shift to the political populist Right in many countries, a reassertion of nationalism and xenophobia. Wherever we see policies emerging that are counter to the association’s commitment to human rights, equality and social justice, participative democracy and sustainable development, we shall speak out.

The current Chair of our International and National Relations committee is Anastasia Crickley, who is also a recent Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  On the current IACD Board are members  who are actively involved in their national community development networks in Nigeria, Ireland, Kenya, Tanzania, Hong Kong China, Philippines, Scotland, New Zealand and the USA, including the chairs of the Nigerian, Kenyan, Irish and New Zealand associations and former President of the US Community Development Society. You will find the Committee’s remit on the Board and Its Committees Drop Down page of this website.

Since 2016 the International and National Relations Committee has focussed upon four priorities:

  • enhancing the voice and expertise of grassroots communities and community development practitioners in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and generally raising the association’s profile at the U.N.;
  • advocating for IACD’s work on International Standards for CD Practice with international and national partners;
  • convincing governments, inter-governmental bodies and non-governmental funders, of the multiplier value of the investment in community development programmes;
  • supporting the networking of community development practitioners at international, global regional and national levels.

The International and National Relations Committee works closely with the Training and Professional Development Committee, Regional Directors, Country Correspondents and with existing CD networks around the world in taking this agenda forward.