Resources

This is a library of QUNO publications, newsletters, and statements. Recent Publications

March 2024

QUNO Review 2024

QUNO is proud to announce that the latest version of our annual review is now available online! This is a great opportunity to read and learn more about the work of our New York and Geneva offices during this past year, and to learn about the work ahead.

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January 2024

QUNO COP28 Resources and Analysis

QUNO's Human Impacts of Climate Change Programme attended the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai in November and December 2023. At COP28, the main challenges included delivery of an urgent, equitable and science based Global Stocktake, strengthening on just transition and mitigation efforts, and appropriate financing for adaptation and loss and damage. Details of our advocacy efforts can be found here

QUNO's Representative on Climate Change Lindsey Fielder Cook provides an analysis on COP28, highlighting how while COP28 broke certain silences around fossil fuels and blocked efforts to pass carbon trading frameworks, COP28 had its disappointments as climate finance and greenhouse gas emission reductions remain far below the historical and ethical responsibility of developed countries. The article originally published in The Friend is attached as well as two blog posts for Quakers in Britain.

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January 2024

Booklet: Sustaining peace and human rights towards just, peaceful, and inclusive societies

QUNO Geneva's Peace & Disarmament program works to highlight and reinforce the inextricable link between human rights and peace and to ensure that they are seen as mutually reinforcing throughout the UN's work at the policy and practice level, reaching out o a diverse range of stakeholders and in doing so to promote just, peaceful, and inclusive societies. Read more about our most recent activities and work on this in the booklet!

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January 2024

Booklet: Arms control, human rights, and corporate responsibility towards just, peaceful, and inclusive societies

QUNO Geneva's Peace & Disarmament program works on highlighting the arms-related risks to human rights and tackling the challenges in addressing these risks by building effective arms controls at the international level. Read more about how we do that in this booklet. 

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January 2024

QUNO's Engagement at the 60th Session of the IPCC

QUNO’s Human Impact of Climate Change programme, speaking on behalf of the Friends World Committee for Consultation, participated in the 60th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Istanbul, Turkey. 

At this session, the panel was tasked with crucial decisions on IPCC’s finances and its work for the 7th Assessment Cycle. QUNO submitted three interventions: advocating for the need to focus on the transformation of root causes rather than feeding unhealthy reliance on fossil fuels through research on geo-engineering; for research that upholds the rights and knowledge of Indigenous peoples; and the inclusion of military emissions in IPCC modeling and greenhouse gas emissions reporting. 

QUNO’s specific interventions and a debrief analysis on the negotiations and results of the 60th Session are available for download.

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January 2024

Towards More Ambitious Goals: Reflections on the First International Migration Review Forum

The new FES publication offers a civil society perspective on how we can raise ambition for the IMRF to deliver for migrants.

The initial International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) took place in May 2022 during the General Assembly in New York, aiming to assess the progress of the 2018 Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). In this interim period between IMRF sessions, authors Kate Sheill and Laurel Townhead reflect on the inaugural event from a civil society standpoint, documenting the formal processes leading up to the forum. The publication serves as a contribution to institutional memory and seeks to provide insights for future IMRF engagements. The review delves into the established constraints and emerging challenges faced during the 2022 IMRF, examining how they influenced efforts to enhance civil society involvement. Specifically, it contemplates the global follow-up and review process's potential.

While acknowledging certain successes of the inaugural IMRF, the paper contends that greater ambition is necessary, both for the forum itself and the implementation of the GCM, to effectively benefit migrants. It suggests viewing the IMRF not merely as a quadrennial, four-day event but reimagining it as an integral part of the broader UN architecture for migration governance and migrant rights. This approach aims to foster coherence across all relevant UN processes and entities, as well as to expand and deepen engagement from diverse stakeholder groups. Only through this comprehensive perspective can we hope to realize the ambition and effectively serve the needs of migrants.

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December 2023

A Practical Guide for Migrants and Other Stakeholders Using the Upcoming Regional Reviews to Safeguard Human Rights

Viewing the Global Compact for Migration as a useful tool for human rights-based migration governance, QUNO works with States, the UN, civil society and migrants themselves to ensure its ambitious, effective, and human rights-based implementation. QUNO believes that a multistakeholder, collaborative approach that incorporates lived experiences and expertise is vital for this process, to support this QUNO is publishing a short, practical guide for migrants and other stakeholders to engage with the upcoming Regional Reviews.

This guide is designed to simplify and enhance the accessibility of the Regional Reviews in an effort to promote engagement from all stakeholders, particularly migrants themselves. QUNO explains why engaging with the process is important and avenues of engagement with ideas for action, while also providing logistical information and useful resources.

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November 2023

Enhancing Meaningful Participation of Migrants, Migrant Organizations and Organized Migrant Groups in Regional Migration Review Processes

This paper serves as a call to action for all stakeholders involved in the GCM Regional Reviews, urging them to enhance meaningful participation of migrants. While the aim is to amplify representation, the document emphasizes the inherent diversity among migrants, highlighting that no single entity can universally articulate the experiences of such a varied group. The paper encourages intentional engagement with migrants associated with organized groups and networks, recognizing their potential to contribute collaboratively to policy development and advocacy efforts.

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November 2023

New Report: Strategies for Asian countries to end plastic pollution

Against the backdrop of Asia’s struggle with burgeoning plastic waste, the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) has published a new report that delves into the complex challenges and potential strategies for addressing this problem in the region.

QUNO’s report, ‘Trade and Plastics — Fostering Sustainable Development in South East Asia’, was issued by its Sustainable and Just Economic Systems programme this month (November).

It focuses on plastic pollution in Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam and highlights the pressing need for systemic changes. 

The report highlights the growing environmental threats and economic losses due to mismanaged waste. It also exposes the intricate interplay between trade policies and sustainable waste management practices.

This critical study, conducted by experts from the University of Cambridge, transcends traditional discussions on plastic waste management. 

It underscores the urgent need to align strategies with the waste management hierarchy—emphasising reduction, reuse, and recycling—to combat the escalating crisis of plastic pollution and its socio-economic ramifications.

This study is an essential call to action, urging the implementation of comprehensive policies that integrate waste hierarchy principles. 

It challenges the current linear economic model, stressing the importance of reducing plastic production, minimising single-use plastics, and promoting sustainable alternatives. 

Its authors navigate the complexities of transitioning towards more sustainable practices, particularly emphasising the pivotal role of trade as a lever for ecological and social reform.

The report enriches broader understanding of the multifaceted nature of plastic pollution and fortifies QUNO’s advocacy for environmentally sound and equitable economic systems. It is a testament to the power of informed, cohesive action in the face of a global environmental challenge.

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November 2023

Integrating Human Rights and Sustaining Peace: Exploring Special Procedures

The report 'Integrating Human Rights and Sustaining Peace: Exploring Special Procedures' is based on a joint project undertaken by the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in collaboration with the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs' Peacebuilding Support Office (DPPA/PBSO). The joint project sought to pilot activities to explore how special procedures of the Human Rights Council could better integrate human rights and sustaining peace in their work and enhance prevention of both conflict and human rights violations across all pillars of the United Nations (UN). While the report does not claim to be comprehensive, it hopes to serve as a basis for continued reflection, learning and discussions in the lead-up to 2024 Summit of the Future, when the UN system is prioritizing prevention as illustrated in the policy brief on the 'New Agenda for Peace'.

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November 2023

A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Healthy, and Equitable Climate Action - 2024 Edition

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva published an updated version ‘A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Healthy, and Equitable Climate Action,’ which is available in English, Arabic, and Spanish. This publication is aimed at enhancing understanding and communication of climate change.

‘A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Real, and Equitable Climate Action’ has been updated with the most recent scientific findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6). This report was compiled for just over seven years and involved hundreds of scientists worldwide.

The IPCC informs governments on what is happening, why, and what people can do to avert catastrophic climate change. 

QUNO’s updated ‘A Government Official’s Toolkit’ aims to empower policymakers and climate advocates with the latest IPCC findings on root causes and urgent, feasible, and near-term options that are already available at scale to address climate change and improve well-being and planetary health. QUNO believes that everyone should have easy access to the science presented to our governments.

This publication is accessible online and via a print-at-home version, which can be used for personal distribution and campaigning.

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November 2023

How to be a Hero for All Our Children - 2024 Edition

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva published an updated version of ‘How to be a Hero for All Our Children,’ which is available in English, Arabic, and Spanish. It aims to connect people with the most recent climate science and suggests personal actions and questions for politicians.

‘How to be a Hero for All Our Children’ has been updated with the most recent climate scientific findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6). This report was compiled over seven years and involved hundreds of scientists worldwide.  

The updated ‘How to be a Hero for All Our Children’ is written for a wide audience, whether already active or new to climate concerns. It includes categories such as “What we eat”, “How we grow and sell food”, and “How we use and source energy.” This publication is meant to aid in our collective empowerment to transform the root causes driving planetary crisis. 

This publication is accessible online and via a print-at-home version which can be used for personal distribution and campaigning.

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November 2023

QUNO's Submission to the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body

QUNO, on behalf of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), offered this submission in response to a call for input the Article 6.4 Supervisory Board on how to meaningfully engage with Indigenous peoples and local communities. This submission calls for the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body to ground meangingful engagement with Indigenous peoples and local communities in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR6 Summary findings, approved by States in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The Article 6.4 Supervisory Body is tasked with supervising and operationalizing the carbon crediting mechanism that was established by Article 6.4 of the UN Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change which encourages global action to help humanity and nature avert catastrophic temperature rise due to human activities. 

FWCC is an accredited observer of both the UNFCCC and IPCC, as well as an expert reviewer of IPCC Reports. In addition to FWCC expertise, the submission collated findings directly referenced from the IPCC AR6 Reports. We hope that this collation will help guide the Supervisory Board to ground its work in the best available scientific research, strengthening efforts to establish meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This is critical to avert exacerbating existing structural inequities, especially when considering land-based carbon credits in areas of Indigenous land tenure or where land tenure is insecure. This submission highlights IPCC findings that not only emphasize the risks associated with failing to engage meaningfully with Indigenous Peoples and local communities but also offer approaches to minimize such risks through monitoring and reporting; capacity-building; or incorporating Indigenous knowledges and human rights-based approaches

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October 2023

QUNO's INC-3 Joint Submission with IUCN on Plastic Subsidies

At its second session, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee requested the Secretariat to invite written submissions on (a) Elements not discussed at INC-2, such as principles and scope of the instrument (using Template A), and (b) Any potential areas for inter-sessional work compiled by the cofacilitators of the two contact groups, to inform the work of INC-3 (using  Template B). 

Recognizing that the adoption of subsidy disciplines within the forthcoming treaty would be a significant step forward for advocates pushing for upstream measures to tackle plastic pollution at its root cause, the Quaker United Nations Office partnered with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for its second submission to inform the work of INC-3. This submission addresses the pivotal issue of subsidies promoting plastic production. The document emphasizes:

  • Defining the commitments' scope, particularly pinpointing which production stages should be considered.
  • Recommending alignment with the World Trade Organization’s definition of a subsidy.
  • Exploring methods to manage non-specific subsidies, such as those supporting energy use across diverse sectors.
  • Advocating for the prohibition of all future subsidies that would further plastic production.

This collaborative effort with IUCN aims to offer well-rounded guidance for INC-3's agenda concerning upstream plastic measures and core obligations. 

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September 2023

QUNO's Submissions to the Global Stocktake (GST)

As the United Nations-led Global Stocktake is being finalised, the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) has offered two submissions to this assessment of international action on climate change.

QUNO’s submission was made on behalf of the Quaker organisation, Friends World Committee for Consultation, which it represents at the United Nations (UN).

QUNO also joined 25 international organisations, as part of the Human Rights & Climate Change Working Group, make a submission to highlight the importance of “integrating human rights into the Global Stocktake”. It is available for download here.

The Global Stocktake is a periodic review and the first one is meant to be released at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at the end of 2023. Its primary objectives are to assess individual countries’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable energy sources. It is aimed at keeping countries accountable on climate action. The Global Stocktake was established under the UN Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change which encourages global action to help humanity and nature avert catastrophic temperature rise due to human activities. Numerous countries have voluntarily signed this agreement.

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August 2023

QUNO's INC-3 Submission on Reuse, Refill, and the Midstream Segment of Plastic Lifecycle

At its second session, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee requested the Secretariat to invite written submissions on (a) Elements not discussed at INC-2, such as principles and scope of the instrument (using Template A), and (b) Any potential areas for inter-sessional work compiled by the cofacilitators of the two contact groups, to inform the work of INC-3 (using  Template B).

In response to this call, the Quaker United Nations Office made two contributions on behalf of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) to inform the work of the INC-3. Our first submission, which focuses on reuse, refill, and the midstream segment of the plastic lifecycle, outlines a vision for an international treaty that considers unique requirements for diverse sectors, notably focusing on circular approaches like reuse and refill methods. It emphasizes economically viable solutions that benefit everyone in the supply chain, especially tailored to the challenges of developing nations. The proposal suggests utilizing funds from mechanisms like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for plastics, underlining the potential these have in advancing sustainability. The interconnectedness of environmental responsibility and social fairness is highlighted, emphasizing tailored strategies for small businesses. The document also underscores the importance of consistent global standards and collaboration, pointing to the roles of entities like the World Trade Organization. Lastly, the submission combines insights from international trade law and environmental concerns to present forward-looking strategies, emphasizing fairness and inclusivity.

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June 2023

Spotlight on SDG16 and Providing Access to Justice for All Summary Note

On June 7, QUNO NY held a discussion on Sustainable Development Goal 16 titled “Spotlight on SDG 16: Providing Access to Justice for All’. The event brought together UN diplomats, colleagues from the UN system and civil society to unpack the ‘justice’ element of SDG 16, delving further into both reproductive and environmental justice. The discussion centered around the intersectionality of equal access to justice, strategies for translating SDG targets into tangible national laws and action plans and methods to improve data collection on equal access to justice.

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June 2023

QUNO's Contribution to Zero Draft for MC13 Outcome - Dialogue on Plastic Pollution

The SJES team was approached by the DPP (Dialogue on Plastic Pollution) Secretariat for feedback on their Zero Draft in preparation for the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13) scheduled in Abu Dhabi from 26-29 February 2024. In our submission, the SJES team highlighted the significant role of subsidies in the plastic industry and underscored the broader social implications of plastic pollution, especially on marginalized communities. They recommended clearer waste management guidelines, enhanced transparency through better plastic labeling, and championed principles like the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) and extended producer responsibility (EPR). With this feedback, the team aspires to strengthen the WTO's approach against plastic pollution by integrating environmental and social concerns. You can find our submission attached below.  

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June 2023

New Climate Publication - A Government Official's Toolkit

QUNO has just published the most recent version of A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Real, and Equitable climate action. The 2023 Toolkit highlights the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Synthesis Report. It is a useful guide for both policy makers and climate activists.

It presents 19 categories referencing the latest scientific findings of the IPCC, focused on “What is happening, Why, and the urgent, feasible, and equitable near-term options that are already available at scale to address climate change and improve human well-being and planetary health.”  The IPCC’s message is clear: “climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health.”

This update is written to support government officials – at local, regional, and national levels – who are concerned about the impacts of climate change on their citizens, country, and the planet. It offers concise excerpts to help readers engage with different concerns through a science based perspective to improve urgent, real, feasible near term actions.

Included in the 19 covered topics are: “The Root Causes;” “The Consequences of Our Human Activities – Hurting People and the Planet;” “Urgent Action to Keep Global Warming to a Safer Temperature Rise Limit;” “Averting Suffering, Death, Loss and Damage,” “Climate Action that is Real, Transformative, Feasible, and Available at Scale,” and “Empowering People in an Era of Climate Change.”

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June 2023

Audience reflections from "Truthful engagement in real, effective and ethical climate action for an ambitious Global Stocktake" side event at SB58

QUNO’s team at the recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations (SB58) in Bonn (June 5 – June 15) was the Representative for the Human Impacts of Climate Change (HICC), Lindsey Fielder Cook, and HICC programme assistant Alana M Carlson. 

QUNO’s interactive side event was titled “Truthful engagement in real, effective and ethical climate action for an ambitious Global Stocktake,” and included panelists from the negotiation, research, activist, community organizer and legal experience. The event was led by QUNO and the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO), with co-hosts from Britain Yearly, Quaker Earthcare Witness, and the Friends World Committee for Consultation.  The side event can be watched here.

See the below word collage to review the reflections shared by audience members.

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