Areas of Work

Migration and Displacement

QUNO works at the international level to promote and strengthen the human rights of migrants and refugees. We seek to uphold the dignity and worth of every individual, regardless of the reasons why they move and the status they may hold. We work on both refugee and migrants’ rights as we are committed to achieving migration systems that prioritize migration justice. This work is rooted in Quaker beliefs in the sacred in everyone, and we are dedicated to upholding the inherent value and agency of every human being.

Using our traditional methods of bringing together a diverse range of actors engaged in the human rights of migrants, we work with the UN human rights mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council, to advocate for strengthened standards for migrants and people on the move which are firmly rooted in international human rights principles. An important aspect of this work is ensuring the views of those affected by the issues we work on are represented and we are consistently looking for new ways to make this possible.

QUNO is actively engaged in the implementation, follow-up and review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. This includes developing resources to support implementation, supporting engagement with reviews and working with the UN Network on Migration.

We also seek to connect with other Quaker work on migration and jointly with American Friends Service Committee, Britain Yearly Meeting, Friends Committee for National Legislation and the Quaker Council for European Affairs developed a statement of our vision for migration justice.

This aspect of the programme recognizes the structural inequalities and power structures including but not limited to colonialism, racism, sexism, classism that have led to and continue underpin the conditions we see today and aims to reflect this in our analysis and recommendations.

If you want to be added to our mailing list for monthly updates on the human rights of migrants which identifies news and opportunities in the human rights system and civil society networks, please sign up here or contact Human Rights and Refugees Programme Assistant, Yasmin Beldjelti at ybeldjelti@quno.ch 

 

Recent Timeline Events

March 2023

Ending lethal disregard for people on the move: working through the UN for migration justice

In line with our prioritisation of ending lethal disregard for people on the move as a core element of achieving migration justice, QUNO Geneva is engaging with both the UN human rights system and the UN migration governance architecture. 

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March 2023

New Opportunities for Breaking the Barriers of Systemic Racism in Migration Governance

On 29 March, QUNO Geneva engaged with the work of the Human Rights Council on systemic racism. Human Rights and Refugees Programme Assistant, Yasmin Beldjelti, spoke in both the Debate in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the General Debate Item 9 on Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance.

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December 2022

Briefing paper: Using the Outcomes of the International Migration Review Forum for Migration Justice

The 2022 International Migration Review Forum was the first global reflection by States on the implementation of the GCM so far. While it succeeded in demonstrating a commitment to human rights-based multilateralism on migration within the United Nations, it did not deliver on all the demands and concerns of those working for migration justice. Further work is needed to make the best use of this steppingstone by building on its outcomes, including the progress declaration, national reviews and statements, and pledges. 

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