Summary

This panel uses three comparative country-level case studies from Argentina, Costa Rica, and Brazil to examine implementation of SDGs in the Latin American context. Much of the literature ignores social workers in favor of "hard" sciences and emphasizes sustainability almost to the exclusion of the social dimension. This fills these gaps by demonstrating social development and social work's role in achieving the SDGs. These case studies present a regional snapshot of social development in action.\ \ SDGs in Argentina\ \ This presentation analyzes Argentina's response to the COVID-19 pandemic pertaining to the SDGs. The pandemic strained the public sector and challenged democratic institutionality, reassessing the state's role. Policies boosting the economy were balanced with providing direct assistance to companies, workers, and citizens. This revived debates on basic income, taxation, and redistribution. We report on the SDGs in Argentina, national policies, and the challenges and trends.\ Water, SDGs, and Costa Rica\ This presentation discusses SDG6 in Costa Rica, which requires protecting water resources and providing clean water and sanitation. Facing significant environmental problems, Costa Rica uses participatory community-based environmental policy. We use the social determinants of health and human rights frameworks to analyze political and social initiatives and show how social workers have played a key role in environmental education and community work.\ \ SDGs Advocacy in Brazil\ This presentation shows how in response to the dismantling of social and environmental policies in Brazil, NGOs formed the Working Group on the 2030 Agenda to return the SDGs to the agenda. Through primary sources and oral history methods, we demonstrate how the Working Group became an advocacy coalition based on cooperation, shared beliefs, and coordinating skills and resources. This empirical presentation offers insights into the essential role of civil society in advocating for state accountability for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Brazil, Costa Rica, implementation, social work practice, policy, poverty, hunger, water, governance, SDGs, Argentina