ABSTRACT
The Declaration was the product of international discussions, with the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) contributing to discussions throughout. The Declaration itself sought to lay a foundation for the protection of individuals against abuse of political, legal or social power by establishing principles that went beyond specific political, legal or social systems. Small wonder, then, that Social Work values are routinely linked to the principles of human rights. Most notably, the IASSW and International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) shared Statement of Ethical Principles declares that Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work. For thinkers such as Rawls and Cranston, the universal moral imperative of human rights can remain, but as moral imperatives they exclude the more concrete and socio-cultural and political demands of the later Articles.
