The new elected President of ELISAN
- elisannetwork
- Nov 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 18
ELISAN President: María José Rico Llorca
Title: Director General, Instituto Valenciano de Servicios Sociales
Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed authorities, institutional representatives and colleagues from the various European territories,
It is an honour for me to address all of you today in my capacity as Director General of the Valencian Institute of Social Services, IVASS, at a particularly relevant time for territorial cooperation and the joint construction of innovative models of social welfare. I appear before you to request your confidence and your vote in order to assume the Presidency of the ELISAN Network, a responsibility that I face with deep conviction, commitment and a sense of public service.
All the territories present here have signed the Venice Declaration, a document that not only unites us, but also defines an ethical and operational framework that invites us to act. The Declaration represents a shared roadmap, articulated in ten strategic points, promoted by the IFFD and voluntarily undertaken by each of us. These ten points are not mere lines of intent: they are a genuine political, social and human commitment. A commitment that requires leadership, coordination, perseverance and the ability to reach consensus. And this is precisely the spirit that I would like to bring to the Presidency of ELISAN.
Spain, and specifically the Valencian Community, wishes to be at the service of the Network in this new stage. We want to offer open, dialoguing and results-oriented leadership, where each territory can feel a real part of the process. We are committed to a Presidency that listens and that promotes, that gives continuity to the excellent work done and that helps to put into practice the principles that we agreed in Venice.
Let me share some concrete examples of our recent involvement, because talking about commitment is important, but demonstrating it through actions is even more so.
First of all, next week we will have the privilege of hosting the SACRED meeting at our IVASS headquarters in Valencia, which will be attended by many countries. It will be an opportunity to present progress, share learnings and continue to build common criteria around care, care and social policies based on evidence and the dignity of people. We are proud to offer our home for this international meeting, which symbolises the openness and European vocation of IVASS and the entire Valencian Community.
Secondly, we are already working so that next February Valencia will host the ELISAN General Assembly, a fundamental event to review the path traveled and define the strategic lines for the next period. In addition to this Assembly, we will organize a day dedicated to real cases, living cases, which will allow us to focus on specific experiences of intervention and models of success that can be useful for other territories.
We believe that ELISAN should be an eminently practical network, capable of inspiring real public policies. For this reason, at IVASS we are committed to opening spaces where useful, replicable and transferable experiences are analysed.
Thirdly, we are promoting the expansion of the Network to incorporate new territories. In this sense, we have already initiated the first contacts with the City Council of Onda, in the Valencian Community, so that they can assess their incorporation into ELISAN. For us it is essential that the Network continues to grow and that territories with interesting initiatives can join, enriching diversity and increasing the capacity to influence our actions.
Fourthly, on 15 December, in Madrid, during a conference in which IVASS participates, we will have a relevant space to talk about the ELISAN Network and the Venice Declaration. It will be an opportunity to make visible the common objectives we share and to disseminate the importance of strengthening this European cooperation in the field of social services.
Each of these actions reflects our willingness to actively contribute to the promotion of the Network. And it is precisely this desire that moves me to ask for your trust today.
If I have the honour of assuming the Presidency of ELISAN, I commit myself to:
Strengthen cooperation between territories through more fluid communication, regular meetings and stable spaces for joint work.
To turn the Venice Declaration into an operational guide, promoting that its ten points are translated into real, measurable and sustainable projects.
To give greater international visibility to the Network, strengthening its presence in European forums and in institutional spaces where welfare policies are defined.
To promote the active participation of all members, favouring equality between territories and always listening to the diverse priorities and realities that make up our Network.
Facilitate the incorporation of new partners, expanding the territorial base and strengthening European representativeness.
PRESIDENCY ELISAN IVASS
Our goal is simple and ambitious at the same time: for ELISAN to be a living, useful and transformative space. A network capable of influencing the improvement of European social services, from proximity, innovation and the defence of the rights of the most vulnerable people.
I would like to conclude by thanking all of you for your commitment and your presence. Today, more than ever, Europe needs territories that cooperate, that listen to each other and that act together in the face of social challenges. Solidarity, coordination and shared responsibility are the pillars on which we must build the future.
I ask for your vote not only to lead a Presidency, but to work alongside you, shoulder to shoulder, representing all the signatory territories of the Venice Declaration, and ensuring that our Network continues to grow, innovate and transform the lives of the people we serve.
Thank you very much for your attention and for the trust you can place in me.
It has been a pleasure to address you.
ELISAN President: María José Rico Llorca
Title: Director General, Instituto Valenciano de Servicios Sociales
• President of the ELISAN Steering Committee: Lourdes Bernal Sanchis
Title: Director of Person-Centered Services, IVASS
• Member of ELISAN Steering Committee: Laura Navarro, Head of Communications
and Press Office IVASS
• ELISAN Treasurers:
o Laura Gabaldón, Head of the Economic Department, Instituto Valenciano de
Servicios Sociales
o Jean Max Trouillet, Director, Union Départementale des Centres Communaux
d'Action Sociale des Bouches-du-Rhône
La directora general del Instituto Valenciano de Servicios Sociales, María José Rico, ha asistido a la Asamblea General Extraordinaria de la Red Europea de Inclusión Local y Acción Social ELISAN, de la que forman parte más de 150 entidades, organismos y administraciones de distintas regiones del mundo.
En su intervención al frente de la citada Red, ha resaltado “la importancia de la cooperación territorial y la construcción conjunta de modelos innovadores de bienes social”, y ha avanzado la celebración la próxima semana de la Reunión Transnacional del Proyecto SACRED en la sede del Instituto Valenciano de Servicios Sociales en Valencia “un foro en el que se presentarán avances y se compartirán aprendizajes para mejorar la atención a las personas mayores en situación de dependencia”.
María José Rico ha recordado que, a principios de 2026, la ciudad de Valencia acogerá la Asamblea General de ELISAN “una cita fundamental para intercambiar experiencias y conocimientos en la intervención y modelos de atención a personas con discapacidad, mayores y personas con enfermedad mental entre otros colectivos vulnerables de la población”.
Asimismo, ha incidido en que “estamos trabajando para impulsar la ampliación de la Red con la incorporación de nuevos miembros como el Ayuntamiento de Onda”, y ha subrayado que “es esencial que siga creciendo con la incorporación de territorios e iniciativas, enriqueciendo la diversidad y aumentando la capacidad de influencia de nuevas acciones, proyectos y políticas sociales”.
También, ha reiterado el compromiso de “reforzar la cooperación, continuar convirtiendo la Declaración de Venecia en una guía operativa que aporte mayor visibilidad internacional a ELISAN, impulsar la participación activa de todos los integrantes y facilitar la incorporación de nuevos socios”. El Gobierno Valenciano se adhirió, en marzo de 2024, a este documento que recoge diez puntos para, entre todas las regiones que integran la Red ELISAN, continuar trabajando con la mirada puesta en las familias y los miembros que las conforman, en especial, en aquellos que son más vulnerables o que estén en riesgo de exclusión”.
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