QUNO's Representative for Human Impacts of Climate Change, Lindsey Fielder Cook, gave a presentation on Quaker work at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), hosted by the world Quaker body Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC). In her talk, Lindsey explained the work of the IPCC and how Quakers participate in the negotiations.

QUNO, speaking as the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), made 35 oral interventions and 11 written submissions at the 56th session of the IPCC, which can be read here.  From 21 March to 4 April, government delegations and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) met virtually to approve the Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) of the Climate Change 2022: Mitigation. The

Dear Friends,

Like us, you have undoubtedly been watching in horror the unfolding events in Ukraine. When we accepted responsibilities as the Directors of the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva and New York this past November, the possibility of such a war was little imagined by us or by the millions of people in Ukraine and Russia. We pray for Friends in Ukraine and Russia, and all impacted by this conflict. We are deeply grateful to hear of the efforts being carried out by Friends in Poland, Estonia and Georgia to provide much needed humanitarian relief.

QUNO’s director in Geneva, Nozizwe MADLALA ROUTLEDGE, took the floor at the 49th Session of the Human Rights Council to emphasize that arms proliferation in society contributes to its increased militarisation, legitimizing and perpetuating the use of violence.

Acknowledging the strong momentum and action around issues of plastics pollution and marine plastics litter, QUNO participated in an informal discussion with stakeholders engaged in the work of the WTO's Informal Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (IDP). The meeting was convened by the IDP co-coordinators, and facilitated by Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs.

Florence Foster, Representative for Peace & Disarmament at QUNO Geneva, had the pleasure of speaking to the Council on Christian Approaches to Defence and Disarmament (CCADD) over a lunch time event on ‘Small Arms Exports, Leadership and Accountability: A Human Rights Perspective’.

At the 49th Session of the Human Rights Council, Florence Foster, QUNO’s Representative for Peace and Disarmament delivered a statement to welcome OHCHR report 49/88 on the contribution of [...] all human rights [...] to achieving the purposes and upholding the principles of the UN Charter. 

On February 2nd 2022, over 130 people joined the virtual roundtable event co-hosted by QUNO Geneva and the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) at the International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding. The event addressed three elements at the intersection of challenges and opportunities in the post-COP26 context, namely: addressing the root causes of climate change, the role of human rights and avoiding securitisation. 

Friends World Committee for Consultation Section of the Americas (FWCC SOA) recently invited QUNO to a meeting with their Regional Coordinators to talk about our work and how Friends around the world can engage with us. It was a small meeting with vast reach, with Regional Coordinators from across the Americas, including the United States, El Salvador and Mexico in attendance, each connected to a Yearly Meeting.

Eleven leaders from seven international Quaker organisations met at Friends House London and online for three days in early December. They included our incoming and outgoing Directors in New York (Sarah Clarke and Andrew Tomlinson) and in Geneva (Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge and Jonathan Woolley).