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.

We predominantly 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. Using our traditional methods of bringing together a diverse range of actors engaged in this work, we aim to create a more humane global vision and approach to the human rights of migrants. 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 because of the significant opportunities this presents to develop more rights-respecting global, regional and national migration governance. This includes developing resources to support implementation, supporting engagement with reviews and working with the UN Network on Migration.

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.

We 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.

If you want to be added to our monthly newsletter mailing list 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, Najmah Ali on nali@quno.ch.