Timeline

Inclusion of Local Perspectives

QUNO helps to bridge the gap between civil society actors in the field and the UN in New York.
May 2015

QUNO supports peace and reconciliation in Burundi

QUNO New York, along with nine other Quaker organisations, have jointly issued a statement on Burundi entitled "Standing for Peace and Reconciliation." This statement draws attention to the current crisis in the country, highlights the important work of Friends in Burundi on trauma healing, reconciliation, and violence prevention, and lifts up the views of Burundian Friends on the need for a political resolution to the crisis, on the importance of dialogue, and that true peacebuilding is a process that needs support in the long-term. 

Related Areas of Work

June 2015

QUNO launches new report with GPPAC on civil society inclusion in UN peacebuilding

QUNO hosted a series of discussions at Quaker House in New York to launch a new report by QUNO and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) entitled Filling the Gap: How civil society engagement can help the UN’s Peacebuilding Architecture meet its purpose. The report is a contribution to the 2015 review of the UN's Peacebuilding Architecture and includes concrete recommendations for how the UN can improve the way in which it collaborates with civil society on peacebuilding, both in New York and in country.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

June 2015

UNRWA at 65: Overcoming Hardship and Sustaining Hope

Following a High Level UN Conference to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Quaker House hosted an Israel Palestine NGO Working Group meeting with UNRWA titled "Overcoming Hardship and Sustaining Hope.” The meeting featured five Palestine refugees from the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria who traveled to New York City to share their stories with the UN community. 

Related Areas of Work

October 2015

In & Around the UN

Take a look at what's going on in our New York office: QUNO's quarterly Newsletter highlights our work on the new Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda; the first Arria-Formula meeting focusing on the issue of Palestine since 1997; a workshop in Beijing entitled "Emerging Views on Global Peace Practice;" our Review of the UN Peacebuilding architecture; and new staff in New York.

Related Areas of Work

October 2015

QUNO speaks on inclusion to UN Peacebuilding Commission

QUNO New York Director Andrew Tomlinson shared perspectives from civil society as a panel presenter at a meeting of the UN Peacebuilding Commission's Working Group on Lessons Learned, chaired by the Japanese Mission to the UN. The meeting focused on the development of political institutions in conflict affected states. Andrew spoke about the fundamental importance of civil society inclusion to effective political institutions.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

November 2015

QUNO hosts discussion on youth and peacebuilding

QUNO, on behalf of the New York Peacebuilding Group, hosted a meeting with members of the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY) to discuss the role of young people in building and sustaining peace. The speakers explained the importance of the recent Amman Youth Declaration on Youth, Peace and Security, and focused on how young people need to be involved as agents of positive change in all stages of peacebuilding.

Related Areas of Work

November 2015

QUNO as panelist at Social Inclusion Public Consultation

QUNO New York Director, Andrew Tomlinson, was invited to speak as a panelist in the public consultation on Social Inclusion hosted by the Independent Commission on Multilateralism at the International Peace Institute, together with Dr. Ilze Brands Kehris, and Omar El Okdah. His comments focused on the core nature of the issues of social inclusion, political participation and effective governance and their role in conflict prevention, the nature of inclusive national ownership in practice, and the need for the multilateral system to model inclusion in its own practices.

Related Areas of Work

February 2016

QUNO speaks at Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organisations in International Affairs

QUNO New York director, Andrew Tomlinson, spoke at the Second Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organisations in International Affairs, which had a thematic focus on the links between religion, violence and extremism. He was invited to speak as a panelist on the intersections of religion and violence, alongside Professor Dr. John L. Esposito from Georgetown University.

Related Areas of Work

March 2016

QUNO welcomed peacebuilders from around the world for 'What's Next in Peacebuilding?' gathering

QUNO gathered a group of 15 peacebuilding organisations from around the world for a three day gathering on 'What's Next in Peacebuilding?' at Quaker House in New York. The event was an opportunity to discuss a variety of issues relevant to peacebuilding practice today, including peace perspectives on humanitarian action, new perspectives on the prevention of violent conflict, funding for peacebuilding, and the role for peacebuilding organisations in the Middle East. Within the busy agenda there was also time set aside for open discussion, giving space for deeper reflection.

Related Areas of Work

April 2016

Bringing the perspectives of Chinese scholars to the UN

In April, AFSC and QUNO collaborated to bring three Chinese scholars and UN experts to the UN. During their short but productive trip, they presented their research on UN peace operations and shared their perspectives on three recent major UN reviews to a variety of Member States, UN officials, think tanks and other civil society actors in New York. China is becoming increasingly involved in supporting UN peace operations and peacebuilding in conflict-affected and post-conflict states, especially in Africa.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

May 2016

QUNO speaks at side event to UN debate on Peace and Security

In May the UN held a High-Level Thematic Debate on Peace and Security. QUNO representative Camilla Campisi participated as a panel speaker in a side event to the debate organised by the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and International IDEA.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

June 2016

QUNO contributes to PBC annual session

QUNO New York Director Andrew Tomlinson was one of a small number of civil society representatives who took part in the third annual session of the UN's Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). The focus of this year's annual session was Transitions as a challenge to consolidating peace and security: The role of the PBC in diplomacy and political accompaniment.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

June 2016

In & Around the UN: New Newsletter from our New York office

QUNO New York is excited to share our most recent Newsletter, "In & Around the UN," featuring the following articles by our staff:

  • What's Next in Peacebuilding?
  • Letter from the New York Director
  • Pastor Elie's Visit to New York
  • Putting Prevention Back on the UN's Agenda
  • ​Updates from the Geneva Office
  • Closer Cooperation between the UN and Regional and Sub-regional Organizations
  • QUNO-AFSC Bring the Perspectives of Chinese Scholars to the UN
  • Celebrating the Work of Quakers at the UN

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

Event of Note
September 2016

Peacebuilding Statement for International Day of Peace

In honour of the International Day of Peace, QUNO and peacebuilding organisations from around the world have issued a shared statement to UN member states on the importance of embracing the new global framework for peace. 

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

November 2016

Another Successful Meeting of the Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform

QUNO is a part of the Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform, which recently concluded an extensive mapping exercise within the UN system to gain a better understanding of how different UN agencies and departments in New York conceptualize prevention.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

January 2017

Sustaining Peace and the 2030 Agenda: Opportunities for Prevention

On the occasion of the High Level Debate, “Building Sustainable Peace for All”, the Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform held an informal, off the record lunch discussion on “Sustaining Peace and the 2030 Agenda: Opportunities for Prevention” to further explore avenues for strengthening prevention at the UN through leveraging synergies between Sustaining Peace and the 2030 Agenda.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

February 2017

Chinese Perspectives on Africa's Peace and Security Challenges: Views from the Field

QUNO, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) convened a two-day workshop in New York that provided a forum for academics from various Chinese institutions to share their research and perspectives on peace and security issues in Africa with a broad policy audience.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

May 2017

Reflections on Reconciliation in the Middle East

A poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad behind the vehicle of UN special envoy for Syria

On a recent visit to Beirut, Andrew Tomlinson, Director of QUNO New York, was invited to offer some reflections on reconciliation to a group of experts engaged in regional humanitarian and development action.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

May 2017

Preventing Violence - Community-based approaches to Early Warning and Early Response

On 22 May, QUNO, as one of the co-facilitators of the Civil Society – UN Prevention Platform, hosted a publication launch and discussion on: “Preventing Conflict: Community-based approaches to Early Warning and Early Response.”  The lead author of the publication, Steven Leach, reflected on the report’s key findings and recommendations.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work

May 2017

QUNO hosts the Friends Church Peace Teams

An essential part of QUNO’s work to promote peacebuilding and prevention at the UN is to ensure that diverse voices inform discussions, particularly practitioners working at the local level and communities that would be impacted by policies. In May, QUNO hosted, Getry Agizah, a Kenyan Quaker, and Coordinator of the Friends Church Peace Teams (FCPT)/ Transforming Communities for Social Change (TCSC) to share her work on peacebuilding at the community level. Getry, a proud peace builder, works tirelessly to transform societies in the western Kenya region.

Tags: 

Related Areas of Work