Following weeks of speculation and intelligence reports, the Russian government initiated new military operations in Ukraine beginning on 24 February. This military attack has had immediate far-reaching impacts, sparked a massive humanitarian crisis, and raised serious concern about potential ecological damage. On the global stage, a range of actions have been taken in response, including measures within the United Nations (UN). This document provides brief details on the response by specific UN bodies thus far and does not include information on all actions taken by UN entities or individual Member States. A letter by the Directors of QUNO’s Geneva and New York offices accompanied the release of this document and can be read here.

The Human Impacts of Climate Change programme jointly made a submission to the UNFCCC’s Katowice Committee of Experts on the Impacts of the Implementation of Response Measures (KCI), working alongside colleagues from the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA). The Committee – which features representatives from each of the five UN regional groups, one member from the least developed countries, one member from the small island developing States and two members from relevant intergovernmental organizations - was established in 2018 to produce work on the impacts – both positive and negative - of responses to climate change taken by different actors. QUNO has been an observer of KCI meetings throughout the course of these years, advocating for responses that take human rights into account.

The submission focused on the transition from fossil fuels-based energy consumption to renewable energy, advocating for a just energy transition in which resources are mobilised in such a way that reduces inequality and guarantees human rights. Specifically, the paper outlined the negative impacts on human rights of large-scale renewable energy projects that fail to consider their impact on the local communities and environment where they are being built. The paper discusses the alternative decentralised renewable energy systems (DRE), as an existent model for energy transitioning that is human rights compliant.  

The authors write that “[the climate response] requires costs, as well as benefits, to be fairly distributed to ensure the decarbonization of our energy system does not further exacerbate or entrench existing inequalities.” This submission aligns with QUNO’s ongoing advocacy for a climate response that is human rights-centred and which ensures climate justice.  

To read the full joint submission, click below.

Peacebuilding approaches and tools can contribute to connecting short-term crisis response and long-term peace and development needs and support the work of actors in these environments. Drawing from QUNO’s publication, Building Peace in Times of Crisis, QUNO developed this infographic as a supportive and complementary resource. This visual aid will assist readers to outline and map the key shifts needed to build and sustain peace in times of crisis, which are discussed at length throughout the publication.

As we work towards an ambitious, effective and human rights-based discussion and outcome at the International Migration Review Forum we are producing a series of short papers to support steps towards migration justice through delivering on the promise of people-centered migration governance contained in the Global Compact of Migration.

The papers on this page cover the following: 

• What is the IMRF? 
• Why does the IMRF matter? 
• Key entry points in the roadmap to the IMRF 

For thematic papers with policy recommendations, please see here.

To view the complete series of briefing papers titled 'Migration Justice: Delivering on the Promise of the Global Compact for Migration' on Padlet, please click here.

QUNO thanks the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation for their support with translations and design for this series.

QUNO's December 2021 issue of the Geneva Reporter newsletter is available below. This issue includes reflections and updates from QUNO staff who attended COP 26 in Glasgow on November 2021. This issue also provides updates on our programs, Peace and Disarmament (P&D) and Human Rights and Refugees. We also welcome QUNO's new incoming director, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, and say farewell to our outgoing director, Jonathan Woolley who will retire on 31 December 2021.You can read more about Nozizwe and her vision for QUNO in the Q&A section. 

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes trade as an essential means of implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Aid for Trade (AfT) is a mechanism which aims to support developing countries in building the capacity and infrastructure so that they can benefit from and engage in trade. AfT is an integral part of the SDG 8, in particular target 8a. on increasing AfT support for developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs). This working paper has benefited from comments shared on a previous draft by a group of various stakeholders to whom we are grateful. These insights were shared at a meeting at Quaker House in Geneva on 28 October 2021. This is a work in progress and we welcome further comments. This is the fourth paper in the series on Trade and Environmental Sustainability, which also includes papers on the topics of circular economy, environmental goods and services, and fossil fuel subsidy reform.

The purpose of this briefing paper is to provide information on Fossil Fuel Subsidies (FFS) and their relationship with trade and trade rules that can help inform their discussions on possible action at the WTO, in particular in the TESSD. This working paper has benefited from comments shared on a previous draft by a group of various stakeholders to whom we are grateful. These insights were shared at a meeting at
Quaker House in Geneva on 27 September 2021. This is a work in progress and we welcome further comments. This is the third paper in the series on Trade and Environmental Sustainability, which also includes papers on the topics of circular economy, environmental goods and services reform, and greening Aid for Trade.

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of, set out ideas around, and raise questions on the different elements of a deliverable on environmental goods and services (EGS) from the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Discussions (TESSD) in the World Trade Organization (WTO). This work has benefited from collaboration with and support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Geneva and from comments shared by a group of various stakeholders at a meeting at Quaker House in Geneva on 2 September 2021. This is a work in progress and we welcome further comments. This is the second paper in the series on Trade and Environmental Sustainability, which also includes papers on the topics of circular economy, fossil fuel subsidy reform, and greening Aid for Trade.

The Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform has launched a new report that summarizes the key findings from the recent discussion series on Advancing Prevention Across UN Sectors and Institutions: Collective Pathways for Effective Prevention that brought together Member States, UN agencies, and international and local civil society.

The report shares key good practices and challenges concerning multilateral leadership, transformative gender analysis, youth participation, the impacts of climate, mediation, and upstream prevention, and outlines opportunities for strengthening prevention across the UN system.