Students from Delaware Valley Friends School started the school year off with an exciting visit to New York City, where they learned about the UN and Quaker work at the UN. The delegation of 8 high school students was among hundreds of young people invited to take part in this year's observance of the UN’s International Day of Peace. “It was truly inspiring to learn about the work that other kids our age are doing around the world,” said Lauren (grade 10) reflecting on a full morning of workshops and presentations at the UN Headquarters. 

On August 9, QUNO New York Programme Assistant, Sadhbh O’Driscoll, moderated a virtual discussion with youth activists from all around the world. QUNO is a member of The Global Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security where the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has a ‘Knowledge Café' initiative to create spaces for young people to come together.

70 years ago, on July 27, 1953, the guns of the Korean War fell silent following the signing of an armistice. While the armistice brought an end to 3 years of fighting, it did not end the war. The parties to this conflict never reached a peace settlement. Today, the Korean Peninsula and many families remain separated between north and south. Tensions remain high with the constant threat that friction could escalate into a nuclear conflict.

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.

On June 30th, QUNO NY as co-facilitator of the Civil-Society UN Platform on Prevention, hosted a civil society briefing on the joint initiative by the African Union (AU), World Bank (WB) and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to strengthen human rights integration into the AU Continental Early Warning systems. The discussion was a chance to reflect on the initiative, and for civil society representatives to provide input.

On 9 June, over 140 Friends, colleagues and supporters gathered in New York City to mark the rich, 75-year history of the Quaker UN Office.

On May 2, 2023, QUNO New York Representative, Kavita Desai, delivered a statement before the UN’s Economic and Social Council on behalf of Friends World Committee on Consultation (FWCC). The special meeting titled ‘Unleashing the transformative power of SDG 16: Improving governance and reducing corruption’ considered the importance and implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) on peace, justice, and building inclusive institutions in a post-pandemic era.

Away from the buzz of the UN, young Indigenous people gathered at Quaker House under the shade of the gingko tree, finding respite through casual conversation, ceremony, and friendship after two weeks of political dialogues at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), held in New York in April 2023.