|
QUNO, and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) organized an event to discuss trade measures in the context of the Treaty to end plastic pollution. The webinar provided attendees with a better understanding of: (1) the scope of international trade and plastics, including the latest numbers and figures; (2) how the World Trade Organization is addressing plastic pollution through its Dialogue on Plastic Pollution; (3) the historical dynamic and inclusion of trade provisions in multilateral environmental agreements, and the importance of trade provisions for the efficiency and implementation of control measures in the plastic treaty process. Additionally, attendees learned from our Senior Technical Advisor, Ronald Steenblik, about (4) relevant subsidies to plastic production; and (5) were updated on the status of negotiations for the treaty to end plastic pollution moving forward toward the next Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee toward a treaty to end plastic pollution. |
QUNO Representative brings Quaker Perspective to Disaster Resiliency
QUNO NY Representative Kavita Desai had the rare opportunity to moderate a panel at the United Nations entitled “Investing in Resilience to Safeguard the Sustainable Development Goals” during a special event held on October 16, 2025, hosted by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the UN Economic and Financial Committee. The UNDRR event, “Towards a Risk-informed approach to Development: Financing Resilient Development Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow,” highlighted the need to increase investment in disaster protection measures such as early warning systems, community protection plans, and resilient infrastructure to safeguard progress made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a series of 17 globally agreed-upon goals that form a blueprint for sustainable peace and prosperity. As Desai noted in her opening remarks, “It is well known that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure…investing in DRR saves resources in the long-term and futureproofs development gains.” Desai’s panel provided valuable insight on the necessity of financing resilient development, warning that progress towards the SDGs has been limited and that current investments in disaster risk and resilience account for only about 25% of actual needs in many countries. The panel noted that this funding gap emerges […]






