On 25 March, the United Nations Security Council successfully passed Resolution 2728, which “Demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire.” Introduced by the ten elected members of the Security Council (E10), the resolution also reiterates the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, protect civilians, and ensure the safe and unconditional release of all hostages. 

February 2024 marked three years since the Myanmar (Burma) military took power in a violent coup following democratic elections. To commemorate this sombre anniversary, the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in New York, working in collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), hosted a visit by two Myanmar experts. Z Nang Raw and Billy Ford spent two days at Quaker House providing private briefings to members of the UN community in New York.

When faced with situations of extreme destruction, violence, and loss like those the world has witnessed in Gaza and the Middle East over recent months, we are all challenged to find hope. On January 9, this challenge was addressed during a panel presentation for students from Columbia Theological Seminary on the role of young people in working towards peace in Israel and Palestine, in which QUNO Programme Assistants shared their experience of working at the UN over the past five months. 

QUNO NY joined a Northeast Asia Peace Games simulation at the Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia on December 3rd. The Peace Game was organized through a partnership between the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). 

How do Quaker organisations respond to global challenges and work for peace? This was a central question posed to four leaders from the Quaker world in a podcast recently released by Friends Journal.

On December 1, QUNO staff in New York kicked off the new month by hosting a breakfast meeting at Quaker House on the situation in Myanmar. The meeting brought diplomats together to hear a briefing by Min Zin, Executive Director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy, regarding the complex and rapidly evolving situation in Myanmar.

On the 19th of October, in the spirit of the building that hosted it, QUNO New York joined civil society partners as well as other faith-based organisations to hold an interfaith service for members of the UN community and our broader constituency at the Church Center for the United Nations (CCUN). Rev. Dionne P. Boissiere, Baptist Minister at CCUN, opened with a call to prayer, grounding participants in a moment of silence for all the victims of the conflict between Hamas and the Israeli Government.

Have you ever wondered how to say “good morning” in Bisaya, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Nepali, Tagalog, and English? Well, one way to learn is to attend the Asia and West-Pacific section meeting of Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) and QUNO New York’s Director, Sarah Clarke, had the opportunity to do just that.

The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) opened with an invitation to the UN Member States to share their perspectives on effective avenues towards Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.

On September 19th, world leaders gathered at the United Nations in New York for the opening of the 78thSession of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). This particular gathering comes at a time when the need for global cooperation is critical, with multiple crises needing to be addressed in addition to recent and tragic natural disasters that have occurred around the world.