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Saying Goodbye to QUNO’s 2024-2025 Programme Assistants

16th September 2025

With the arrival of the fall season, the 2024-2025 cohort of Programme Assistants at QUNO’s offices in both New York and Geneva prepared for their departure. Chelsea Comas and Ailih Weeldreyer wrapped up their tenure at QUNO NY, and Johan Cavert and Kaya Van der Horst finished their terms at QUNO’s Geneva office. All four of these bright young professionals contributed greatly to our work over the past year and demonstrated their capacities to learn and grow from their experiences. Thanks to them, the QUNO team has been able to meet the challenges of yet another trying year in international issues. We thank them sincerely for their work and wish them the best on what lies ahead! 
 
In reflecting on their terms at QUNO, the departing Programme Assistants shared some parting thoughts:  
 
“QUNO’s deep commitment to diplomacy, multilateralism, and peacemaking will serve as guiding light for me as I begin law school at Columbia University and continue to advocate for the recognition of environmental human rights that recognize the dignity and humanity of every person on our planet.” – Johan Cavert 

“My year at QUNO has been full of learning opportunities that helped me grow both professionally and personally. It was particularly impactful to contribute to QUNO’s work on reparatory justice and the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This experience has shaped the way I approach advocacy, emphasizing people-centered strategies and the pursuit of positive peace. I am excited to carry these lessons forward as I begin my law studies at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.” – Chelsea Comas 

“Although there are countless memorable moments to choose from, the invigorating, buzzing energy of the Human Rights Council sessions always inspired me. It was a time where people from all around the world mobilized to collectively address human rights issues and I felt proud to be there as part of QUNO. While 2025 has proven to be a particularly challenging time for multilateralism, working at QUNO has shown me the power of human connection and I aspire to embed this practice in future work endeavors.” – Kaya Van der Horst 

“I’m taking away from my time at QUNO a deep appreciation for the impact of sustained dedication to peace and for the power of human-to-human conversations. I am inspired by colleagues in the faith-based advocacy community who remain committed to peace and flourishing for all people over years and decades. It encourages me to maintain my own spirit of hope as I begin my career and envision a life dedicated to action for peace. In the second half of August, I’ll begin a new role with the World Student Christian Federation in the United States as their national organizer. I’m so grateful for all I’ve learned at QUNO and ready to utilize the relationships and knowledge I have built this year to connect Christian students in the US to advocacy for international peace and justice.” – Ailih Weeldreyer 

As the members of the 2024-2025 PA cohort forge their own paths ahead, all of us at QUNO are excited to see them continue to advocate for peaceful and just societies. 

Each year QUNO’s teams in both New York and Geneva welcome emerging professionals with a passion for peace and justice to contribute to our efforts as Programme Assistants. These 12-month appointments offer recent graduates and early-career professionals the opportunity to gain valuable experience working with multiple facets of the United Nations and the chance to learn from QUNO staff while contributing to our initiatives. 

Areas of work: Peacebuilding & Prevention of Violent Conflict

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Applications Now Open for QUNO New York Programme Assistants 

Applications Now Open for QUNO New York Programme Assistants 

The Quaker United Nations Office in New York is now accepting Programme Assistant applications for the 2026-2027 year. This is an exciting opportunity for young professionals to gain experience at the United Nations, and to both learn about and contribute to Quaker work at the UN. The application is open to both Quakers and those who align with Quaker values. QUNO highly encourages those interested in international affairs, peacebuilding, and quiet diplomacy to apply. The application period closes February 16th, 2026.   Status: Full – Time, Specific Term (12 months) Beginning September 1, 2026 Location: New York, NY Application Deadline: February 16th, 2026, 11:59pm Eastern Time For consideration, please attach your Cover Letter and Resume to the online application here in addition to answering the Application Questions.

QUNO attends COP30 in Brazil: Report 2 of 2

QUNO attends COP30 in Brazil: Report 2 of 2

QUNO participated in the Conference of the Parties (COP30), held from 9–23 November in Belém, Brazil. Following the first report on QUNO’s activities at COP30 (available here), this second report provides an analysis of key areas of concern as well as positive outcomes observed during the conference. This report explains why COP30 was far from an uneventful COP. Hosted in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, COP30 witnessed a renewed presence of civil society and Indigenous Peoples, intense protests spilling into the venue, and even a fire incident. Within the negotiation rooms, coordinated strategies of denial tried to silence language on fossil fuels, the latest climate science, the major drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, and even the recognition of human rights. However, at COP30, that thick wall of denial began to show cracks, emerging from different negotiation groups. By the end of the conference, participants observed early flowers blooming from these cracks in the form of emerging coalitions bringing together developed, developing, and least developed countries. To read the full report, please download the document below.

Applications are Now Open: Quaker United Nations Summer School 2026

Applications are Now Open: Quaker United Nations Summer School 2026

We are excited to announce that the applications for the Quaker United Nations Office Summer School (QUNSS) 2026 are now open!  QUNSS is a two-week programme where young changemakers are introduced to the United Nations and the vibrant international community in Geneva to deepen their understanding of multilateralism, strengthen their policy, negotiation, and advocacy skills, and connect with a supportive international youth network rooted in Quaker values to promote peace, justice, and the protection of Earth.  This year’s themed edition will explore today’s debates on the value and challenges of multilateralism, supporting participants to accurately understand, critically question, and humanize the United Nations.  Over the course of the programme, participants will:  We welcome applications from young people aged 20–26 from all regions and backgrounds who are globally minded, locally rooted, and involved in areas such as social justice, community engagement, climate action, advocacy, or policy, among others.  The deadline for applications is January 25th, 2026 at 23:59 Central European Time (CET).  For the full description of QUNSS 2026, please see the document below. To apply, please access this application form.

At a critical moment, Security Council Resolution on Gaza falls short

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 “International Stabilization Force” and a “Board of Peace” 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 “a horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.” However, QUNO notes with concern the resolution’s 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 resolution’s unilateral approach could sideline the United Nations and risk repeating colonial actions and ideologies that lie at the heart of the conflict.   At its core, the Security Council resolution gives UN backing to the “Comprehensive Peace Plan,” also known as the “20-point plan,” 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 President’s plan, principally, […]

Drawing Hope: Children Reimagining Peace Across Borders

Drawing Hope: Children Reimagining Peace Across Borders

In a world often divided, Drawing Hope is a trans-local peace project that uses children’s art to remind us of our shared humanity. Through artwork created by children, the exhibit sends messages of hope, peace, and reconciliation. After being displayed in venues around the world, Drawing Hope arrived at the United Nations in New York City in early November. QUNO worked closely with the American Friends Service Committee, Okedongmu Children, and the Permanent Mission of Ireland to ensure the exhibit could be displayed inside the UN. From 10 to 21 November, diplomats, UN officials, and guests were able to view drawings created by children in eight countries: North Korea, South Korea, Japan, South Africa, Colombia, Cambodia, Ireland, and the United States. Visitors were inspired by the simple example of children working to connect, transcend barriers, and use creativity to build understanding and empathy across divides. Drawing Hope began on the Korean Peninsula, which in 2025 marks 80 years of division between North and South Korea. Over the past eight decades, cross-border interactions have been strictly prohibited, with both sides dehumanizing the other through propaganda, influencing adults and children alike. As a result, many children grew up surrounded by narratives of […]

QUNO attends COP30 in Brazil: Report 1 of 2

QUNO attends COP30 in Brazil: Report 1 of 2

QUNO’s Human Impacts of Climate Change (HICC) staff, Lindsey Fielder Cook and Daniela Campos, were present at the Conference of Parties (COP30) from 9–23 November in Belém, Brazil. This first report focuses on QUNO’s activities and will be followed by a second report offering an analysis of both concerns and positive outcomes.  While knowing that more than 56,000 people from all over the world came together to share and negotiate global climate action, some might still wonder what happens inside COPs. To offer a clearer glimpse of this experience, we are sharing a narrated report of the major events, negotiations, and interactions where QUNO brought a Quaker voice—advocating peaceful, just, and equitable transformations of activities driving existential levels of climate change and related planetary crises.  Amplifying our Voice and Values at COP30 – Interfaith events : With our Interfaith Liaison Committee colleagues, we helped host an interfaith Talanoa Dialogue at the Lutheran Church Igreja Evangelica de Confissão Luterana, bringing together over 120 people in person from all over the world, with translation between English and Portuguese, and more than 30 participants online.  During the COP, we supported faith-based colleagues in their efforts, including newcomers navigating the space, and engaged with […]