Human Rights in Transition

Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Wartime

In this QUNO briefing, Rachel Brett outlines the UN’s longstanding recognition of conscientious objection to military service as a universal right that must be upheld in all circumstances, including in wartime and national emergencies. Drawing on UN standards and the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion under Article 18 of the ICCPR, it explains that this protection is non-derogable and cannot be suspended, even in a national crisis. The paper also highlights the importance of ensuring that soldiers and reservists can access recognition as conscientious objectors at precisely the moments when normal routes out of military service are most likely to be restricted.

International Standards on Conscientious Objection to Military Service 2025

This updated paper lays out the ways in which conscientious objection has been recognized and is protected under human rights treaties and mechanisms, taking into account developments in international standards that have occurred since the 2021 edition. These strengthened standards can be used by front line organizations as a tool to limit suffering, improve lives and challenge root causes of injustice. Available in English, Spanish, French, and Russian.

Plastic Money: Turning Off the Subsidies Tap (Phase 3 – Briefing Note for INC 5.2)

This briefing note by the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) and Eunomia Research & Consulting presents the preliminary findings from the third phase of our “Plastic Money” initiative. Released in August 2025 to coincide with the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) on Plastic Pollution, this work continues our effort to bring clarity and evidence to the global discourse on plastic subsidies. Building on the insights and modelling from Phase 1 and Phase 2, this latest study expands the scope of analysis to include not only feedstock and energy subsidies but also a wider range of government support measures. These include capital investment grants, in-kind benefits, tax expenditures, and various forms of below-market financing. The study provides updated global estimates for such subsidies and models the environmental and economic implications of their removal. As governments work toward a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty, the role of public financial flows—including subsidies to the production of primary plastic polymers (PPP)—has come under increasing scrutiny. Subsidies reduce production costs, incentivise new investment, and help make virgin fossil-based polymers more competitive than recycled plastics and competing alternative or substitute materials. In doing so, they reinforce a linear and extractive economic model […]

QUNO Review 2025

The Quaker United Nations Office is pleased to announce the release of our 2025 QUNO Review. As in previous years, the Review documents the work of our staff and partners across all program areas between our offices in New York and Geneva as we continue to support UN initiatives and influence international policy toward a more just and peaceful world. Over the past year, many challenges and conflicts have arisen or continued around the world. QUNO has worked on these by building trust and community with our UN partners, and providing space for dialogue and analysis. QUNO staff engaged with the UN’s Human Rights Council, presented research on the intersection between climate change and sustainable economic development, hosted Peace Games from New York to Uganda, and undertook additional initiatives aimed at fostering peace in the international community. To learn more about the past year’s work, and to see how you can support us in the future, explore the full Review below.

Our Right to a Healthy Environment

QUNO is pleased to share the publication of a new resource on the Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment (R2He). In celebrating this newly recognized right, we hope that our easily shareable guide will empower each of us as individuals and members of our communities to advocate for our rights, participate in decision making, and hold governments to account. Over 85% of UN Member States recognize a right to a healthy environment in either constitutions, legislation, or regional treaties. Recognition of R2He means states have the obligation to uphold and protect this as enumerated. If and when they do not, advocates can and must push for its proper implementation. Our guide details the history, importance, and context of R2He within the human rights system and its relation and intersection with other universal human rights. Read on for a thorough introduction to this critical right and an outline of steps individuals can follow to take action. The guide can be found below.

Summary Report – “Plastic Money: Turning Off the Subsidies Tap (Phase 2)”

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), in collaboration with Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd., is pleased to announce the release of the Summary Report for Phase 2 of the initiative titled Plastic Money: Turning Off the Subsidies Tap. This report is being released ahead of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on Plastic Pollution, which begins on 25 November 2024, in Busan, Republic of Korea. This release marks another milestone in our ongoing efforts to provide greater clarity on the nature and extent of subsidies in the production of primary plastic polymers (PPPs) and seeks to serve as a resource for negotiators and stakeholders as they deliberate measures to develop an international legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution. Important figures from Phase 2: Global subsidies for PPP production: The study estimates total subsidies to polymer production at USD 45 billion in 2024, projected to rise to USD 78 billion by 2050 under a baseline scenario. These subsidies disproportionately benefit major producers, with Saudi Arabia alone accounting for USD 38 billion in 2024. Production volumes: In 2024, global production of commodity polymers is expected to reach 306 million tonnes, rising to 590 million tonnes by 2050 under […]

Resources

Resources