The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) believes in the inherent worth of every individual and is committed to working for migration justice. This includes the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants, regardless of migration status. Migration has been an integral component of our societies throughout history; however, migrants continue to face hostility, criminalization and violence which underlines what the High Commissioner of Human Rights has described as a lethal disregard for migrant’s lives. This is further exacerbated by the Covid-19 global pandemic which is disproportionately impacting on those in situations of marginalization and vulnerability.

The Human Rights Council has an important role to play in the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants and should contribute both to preventing violations and responding to human rights violations. This report provides a thorough collection of relevant elements from thematic reports, panels, debates, dialogues and resolutions and identifies potential entry points through activities mandated in resolutions adopted at this session.

QUNO delivered an oral statement in the 28th session of the Human Rights Council at the Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food and the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing. Susan Bragdon, Representive for our Food & Sustainability programme delivered the statement in response to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Hilal Elver.

Text and video (beginning at 00:32:57) of the statement is available below.

Delivered to the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children.

This statement highlights the psychological and mental violence experienced by children when their parents are sentenced to death or executed. These children have been invisible in statistics, policies and programmes. The statement provides examples of the welcome increasing attention in the UN to the situation and rights of these children. FWCC (Quakers) recommends that much more is done to understand how and why these children are exposed to violence and to undertake actions that can lead to their effective protection.

To view a video recording of the oral statement by QUNO's Rachel Brett, click here.

See also:

• Written statement to the Human Rights Council 25th session: "Children of parents sentenced to death or executed: UN developments since the HRC Panel.”
• Children of Parents Sentenced to Death or Executed: How are they affected? How can they be supported
• Lightening the Load of the Parental Death Sentence on Children
• Briefing Paper: Children of Parents Sentenced to Death
• Report: Children of Parents Sentenced to Death

QUNO Geneva's newsletter for November 2010 to January 2011. Featured stories:

• About the year-in-review issue
• From Policy-makers to Practitioners: Disarmament and Peace 2010
• From Seeds to Sustainability: Global Economic Issues 2010
• From Prisons to Protection :Human Rights and Refugees 2010
• Update from QUNO New York
• QUNO Summer School 2011
• Staff Update

QUNO Geneva's newsletter for November to January 2010. Featured stories:

• Conscientious Objection to Military Service
• Securing the Millennium Development Goals
• A Letter from QUNO New York
• Reasons to be Hopeful? Prospects for the Disarmament Agenda 2010
• Women in Prison
• QUNO Seeks New Programme Assistants
• From Trade Justice to Climate Justice? Reflections Around the WTO’s 2009 Ministerial Conference
• Quaker United Nations Summer School
• Quakers at the Copenhagen Climate Conference
• Panel Discussion on Intellectual Property and Food

Aims to inform the position of the African Group in the WTO Geographical Indication (GI) negotiations. In particular it aims to generate objective evidence regarding issues such as the availability of legal means to protect GIs in African countries, the costs and benefits of GI protection, African products that could benefit from GI protection, and technical assistance needs relating to GI protection.

UN Human Rights Council Ninth session Agenda item 3: Oral statement by Friends World Committee for Consultation delivered by Rachel Brett, Quaker UN Office, Geneva, on Tuesday 16 September 2008   on Conscientious Objection to Military Service.  

8th session of the Human Rights Council: NGO Statement on Item 2 – Monday, 2 June 2008. 

This background paper aims to give Friends an overview of the “Geneva Declaration” process, and of QUNO’s involvement in it. This process seeks to highlight the links between armed violence and development, and to focus international attention on the reasons for which there is a demand for small arms and light weapons, rather than focusing, as is traditionally the case, on controlling the supply and transfer of small arms and light weapons.