Over the past month, the United Nations (UN) has worked frantically to grapple with the unfolding crisis in the Middle East. 

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) staff in New York have been focused on the UN response to the deteriorating situation in the region and the unfolding emergency in Gaza. In partnership with other civil society organisations, we continue to push for the UN to lead in achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict.  

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.

The Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform, which is co-facilitated by the Quaker UN Office in New York and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, submitted a written statement to the UN Peacebuilding Commission’s (PBC) meeting of Ministers held on September 22, 2023. The PBC gathering was focused on the challenging topic of ‘peacebuilding and sustaining peace in an era of geopolitical transition’.

On September 16th, QUNO New York Representative, Kavita Desai, spoke at a side event in connection to the Sustainable Development Goals Summit. In her presentation, she stressed that, “for the United Nations engagement with young people on peace and security to be sustainable, there must be an investment in young people and in prevention.”   

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. 

QUNO NY Programme Assistant, Sadhbh O’Driscoll, delivered a statement on behalf of the Friends World Committee for Consultation during the ‘Torchbearers for the SDGs’ youth consultation on August 11, International Youth Day. The consultation was hosted by the United Nations Envoy on Youth and the Major Group for Children and Youth. The theme of the consultation was Meaningful Youth Engagement and the 2030 Agenda.

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.