The concept of human rights was discussed at the symposium in Vanimo last week.
Prof Lawrence Kalinoe of the University of Papua New Guinea, who is also secretary of CLRC and chairman of family and sexual violence action committee was addressing the annual social workers meeting.
He said human rights were universal and they were inherent to a human person.
However, he said Papua New Guinea needed social workers who are multi skilled in dealing with the law governing human rights as well as social issues.
He said Papua New Guinea was a signatory to various international organisations including human rights, but, it is reported that funds utilised had not achieved its goal.
Mr Kalinoe further emphasises that social work education and training must reflect and capture the recent movements and developments in the law and justice sector.
Prof Kalinoe warned that failure to do that would render social work, education and training somewhat irrelevant to addressing the social issues entrenched in our society today.