In recognition of the multifaceted and universal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s joint (virtual) session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) focused on fostering global solidarity and conflict-sensitive responses to the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic on development and peacebuilding efforts.  

In recognition of the impact of COVID-19 on the world and global peace and security, the United Nations (UN) Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) has convened a series of conversations that have welcomed UN staff working at both the country level and headquarters level to share insights on their understanding of peacebuilding in the context of the pandemic. QUNO Director, Andrew Tomlinson, was invited to be interviewed for such a discussion, with QUNO serving as the first civil society organization to share reflections in this series.

Established in 1981 by the unanimous agreement of the United Nations General Assembly, the International Day of Peace (21 September) is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace and a commitment towards non-violence. For the past five years, QUNO has facilitated the development and distribution of a sign on statement amongst peacebuilding organizations globally to mark the day and engage with Member States and UN stakeholders ahead of the UN General Assembly session.  

QUNO was invited to lead the second session in the Friends World Committee for Consultation’s (FWCC) Quaker Conversations, FWCC’s monthly webinar series with Friends around the world. QUNO New York Director, Andrew Tomlinson, spoke about the topic “Changing the World from the Top Down," and began by recalling the Quaker presence at the United Nations (UN), which dates back to the signing of the UN Charter in San Francisco in June, 1945 – almost exactly 75 years ago. When the UN began its work in New York and Geneva, the Quaker offices at the United Nations started right alongside them.

As the sixth and final event in the Civil Society – UN Prevention Platform’s 2020 discussion series, QUNO co-hosted a meeting at the end of July, ‘Advancing Prevention in the Era of Climate Change: Leveraging Climate and Conflict Sensitive Approaches.’ The timely and pressing theme of climate security elicited active engagement from the United Nations, civil society, and Member States, including an intervention from QUNO Geneva’s Representative, Lindsey Fielder Cook, on human rights-based approaches to climate security.

2020 marks a milestone year for the United Nations (UN) as it approaches the fifteenth anniversary of the creation of the Peacebuilding Architecture. Comprised of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), this combined architecture is dedicated to supporting countries emerging from violent conflict as they seek to identify and implement priorities to build and sustain peace. 

On 20 May, QUNO co-hosted “Prevention and Implications of COVID-19: Learning from Transformative Gender Approaches,” an online discussion that brought together over 40 UN, civil society, and Member State experts as part of the Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform’s 2020 discussion series on prevention.  

On 22 May, QUNO was very pleased to partner with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs in co-hosting a virtual session on “Inclusion: What Have We Learned?” during the 2020 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development. The annually held Forum brings together members of the peacebuilding, security, development, and humanitarian communities for interdisciplinary exchanges and dialogue. Aptly, this year’s theme of Sustaining Peace in the Time of COVID-19 fostered lively and productive discussion

On 30 April, QUNO was pleased to co-host “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding: the Role of Young People in Preventing Conflict,” a virtual discussion that brought together over 35 United Nations (UN), civil society, and Member State experts as part of the Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform’s 2020 discussion series on prevention. The Platform’s discussions aim to support and contribute to building the collective capacity of the UN community to advance prevention particularly as it relates to the Secretary-General’s vision for prevention.