Socio-economic welfare
ICN works to influence nursing, health and social policy, professional and socio-economic standards worldwide.
Resources
23rd Asia Workforce Forum communiqué (2025)
22nd Asia Workforce Forum communiqué (2024)
African National Nursing Associations communique following ODENNA Training programme (March 2024)
International Workforce Forum (2024)
Ageing well? Policies to support older nurses at work (2020)
International Workforce Forum 2019
19th Asian Workforce Forum communiqué (2018)
Partners
The International Centre on Nurse Migration (ICNM) serves as a comprehensive knowledge resource created by CGFNS International Inc. (CGFNS) in partnership with the International Council of Nurses (ICN). ICNM emphasizes the development, promotion and dissemination of research, policy and information on global nurse migration and human resources in nursing. This resource center features news, resources, and publications widely available to policy makers, planners and practitioners.
News
ICN Monthly Update December 2025 & January 2026
Welcome to the December 2025 & January 2026 ICN Monthly Update!
11 February 2026
ICN’s call for International Nurses Day 2026: empower nurses to save lives
ICN has announced the theme for International Nurses Day (IND) 2026: Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives.
5 February 2026
Global nurse leaders gather in Japan to address urgent workforce crisis
Nursing leaders from Japan and around the world are gathering in Yokohama this week for two major nursing events that are advancing the global conversation on how countries can protect, retain and invest in their nursing workforce as pressures mount across health systems worldwide. The International Workforce Forum (IWFF) on 3–4 February, co-hosted by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Japanese Nursing Association (JNA), brings together national nurses’ associations from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom to discuss common challenges facing health systems across continents — including workforce shortages, unsafe workloads, inflexible shift patterns, low pay, and rising levels of violence and harassment — and to identify solutions. It is followed by the Japan Nursing Summit on 5 February, an international meeting focused on work-style reform, workforce sustainability and the future of nursing in an era of rapid demographic changes and growing health demands.
4 February 2026
ICN’s advocacy at WHO Executive Board: Investing in the nursing and health workforce for economic security
As the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board (EB) meetings (2–7 February) get underway, the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA), of which the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a member, has written to the WHO calling for health workforce investment to be placed at the heart of the draft WHO Strategy on the Economics of Health for All (2026–2030).
2 February 2026
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Newsletter
ICN Monthly Update December 2025 & January 2026
Welcome to the December 2025 & January 2026 ICN Monthly Update!
11 February 2026
-
IND
ICN’s call for International Nurses Day 2026: empower nurses to save lives
ICN has announced the theme for International Nurses Day (IND) 2026: Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives.
5 February 2026
-
Global nurse leaders gather in Japan to address urgent workforce crisis
Nursing leaders from Japan and around the world are gathering in Yokohama this week for two major nursing events that are advancing the global conversation on how countries can protect, retain and invest in their nursing workforce as pressures mount across health systems worldwide. The International Workforce Forum (IWFF) on 3–4 February, co-hosted by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Japanese Nursing Association (JNA), brings together national nurses’ associations from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom to discuss common challenges facing health systems across continents — including workforce shortages, unsafe workloads, inflexible shift patterns, low pay, and rising levels of violence and harassment — and to identify solutions. It is followed by the Japan Nursing Summit on 5 February, an international meeting focused on work-style reform, workforce sustainability and the future of nursing in an era of rapid demographic changes and growing health demands.
4 February 2026
-
WHO
ICN’s advocacy at WHO Executive Board: Investing in the nursing and health workforce for economic security
As the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board (EB) meetings (2–7 February) get underway, the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA), of which the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a member, has written to the WHO calling for health workforce investment to be placed at the heart of the draft WHO Strategy on the Economics of Health for All (2026–2030).
2 February 2026