On 12 August, QUNO NY, in collaboration with Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), hosted a virtual event titled “Discerning the Path Forward – Quaker Engagement in the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent”. The event gathered Friends across the global Quaker family to reflect, worship, and discern how QUNO and Quakers are called to engage with the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD).
The United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD), established in 2021, is a consultative platform to advance the rights and inclusion of people of African descent worldwide. Its mandate includes advising the UN system, promoting justice and equality, and monitoring the implementation of the renewed International Decade for People of African Descent (the second decade will cover 2025–2034). The PFPAD will meet annually and rotate between convening at the UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva – both locations where the Quaker UN Office (QUNO) has a presence and can actively engage.
The virtual gathering provided a spiritual and strategic grounding space for Friends and partners to learn about QUNO NY’s participation in the 2025 session of the PFPAD and to contribute to the development of this work for the future. Split into two segments, participants first heard experiences and reflections from a panel on how Quaker organizations are working at the intersection of racial justice, reparations, and global advocacy. The second half of the event with small breakout room discussions, was intended to build relationships among Friends and strengthen collective witness on issues affecting people of African descent, using the following queries:
- In light of the deep historical and continuing harms of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade, how can Friends meaningfully engage in the work of reparations—both within Quaker communities, connecting those on the African continent with the global diaspora and at the UN
- What are the perspectives of Quakers on how to live into the Tapestry document and WPM Epistle, and how can these be uplifted to engage in the PFPAD? What are the perspectives of Quakers on how to live into the Tapestry document and WPM Epistle, and how can these be uplifted to engage in the PFPAD?
- In what ways can the global Quaker family deepen its witness at the United Nations and beyond, to challenge the legacies of racism and affirm the dignity and leadership of African-descended communities?
Living into the Tapestry Document and the Epistle coming out of the 2024 World Gathering, Quakers and QUNO will continue to develop work to engage in the PFPAD and beyond.
Additional information on QUNO’s engagement in the PFPAD can be found here, here, and here. The concept note and queries graphic can be accessed below.
