QUNO New York director Andrew Tomlinson was interviewed by the Western Friend, the official publication of Quakers in Pacific, North Pacific, and Intermountain Yearly Meetings, to talk about the work and impact of the Quaker presence at the United Nations. In a wide-ranging dialogue, Andrew discussed the long history of QUNO, its working methods, and the current policy priorities at the United Nations. An excerpt of the transcript of the interview can be found here, or alternatively a complete transcript can be found here.
At a critical moment, Security Council Resolution on Gaza falls short
On Monday, November 17, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2803 (2025) authorizing the creation of an โInternational Stabilization Forceโ and a โBoard of Peaceโ aimed at addressing the critical security, humanitarian, and reconstruction needs in Gaza. The resolution affirms the importance of enabling humanitarian aid, maintaining a ceasefire, and the goal of working towards โa horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.โ However, QUNO notes with concern the resolutionโs disregard for the consent or agency of Palestinians within the mechanisms proposed by the resolution. Furthermore, the resolution fails to establish clear mechanisms for transparency, accountability, and effective humanitarian aid and reconstruction. Both observers and UN member states have pointed out that the resolutionโs unilateral approach could sideline the United Nations and risk repeating colonial actions and ideologies that lie at the heart of the conflict. ย At its core, the Security Council resolution gives UN backing to the โComprehensive Peace Plan,โ also known as the โ20-point plan,โ proposed by US President Donald Trump earlier this year. The United States proposed the resolution and lobbied strenuously to push it through the Security Council on an expedited timeline. The resolution gives a green light to main tenets of the Presidentโs plan, principally, […]






