QUNO

When faced with situations of extreme destruction, violence, and loss like those the world has witnessed in Gaza and the Middle East over recent months, we are all challenged to find hope. On January 9, this challenge was addressed during a panel presentation for students from Columbia Theological Seminary on the role of young people in working towards peace in Israel and Palestine, in which QUNO Programme Assistants shared their experience of working at the UN over the past five months. 

To commemorate International Migrants Day held on 18 December annually, the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) is launching a practical guide as part of its Regional Migration Reviews publication series. International Migrants Day acknowledges the important contributions of migrants globally and recognizes the challenges they continue to encounter.

QUNO New York is now accepting Programme Assistant (PA) applications for the 2024-2025 year. QUNO New York works in close partnership with UN diplomats and officials to increase the global commitment to the UN’s role in building lasting peace. We believe that the UN will only fulfill this aspect of its mandate when its peace initiatives truly respond to community needs, and we seek to build bridges between the UN in New York and voices from the ground.

Status: Full - Time, Specific Term (12 months) Beginning September 1, 2024

Location: New York, NY

On December 1, QUNO staff in New York kicked off the new month by hosting a breakfast meeting at Quaker House on the situation in Myanmar. The meeting brought diplomats together to hear a briefing by Min Zin, Executive Director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy, regarding the complex and rapidly evolving situation in Myanmar.

The most difficult climate change Conference of Parties (COP) since the Paris Agreement (2015) has just finished. The mood in Dubai is sober and exhausted; there is little elation.  QUNO’s analysis will follow in the next days, but for now we can say that true urgency, equity and wealthy country leadership commitment remain deeply insufficient. Still, certain taboos on fossil fuels and international finance dysfunction are shifting, alongside improved focus on Adaptation and Loss and Damage.