On 17 September, the UN General Assembly convened for an emergency session to consider a resolution calling for the implementation of this summer’s opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which focused on Israeli settlements and called for their withdrawal.

While world leaders convened at the United Nations for the opening of the General Assembly, across the street at the UN Church Center civil society also gathered at the Global People’s Assembly to share experiences, strategize and mobilize in the face of growing global crises.  

In September of 2024, QUNO’s offices in both New York and Geneva bid fond farewells to this year’s cohort of Programme Assistants. Natalie Dewar and Nyeri Otero Flanagan departed from QUNO’s New York office to pursue their future endeavours, and Anna Aguto, Maria Kamenias, and Chatrina Schumacher reached the end of their terms at QUNO in Geneva. The entire QUNO team thanks these committed advocates of peace and justice for their hard work and contributions to our programmes and community. We wish them the best of luck in their next steps! 

QUNO NY gathered civil society representatives together for an intimate discussion on inclusion and participation at the UN on August 14th. The discussion centered around QUNO’s draft paper analyzing the current state of civic space at the UN and how agreed language from UN resolutions and past momentum for greater inclusion can be used.  

On 16 July 2024, experts from Member States, the United Nations (UN), and civil society gathered at Quaker House to discuss ways in which the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be made more relevant and responsive at the local level.

On 16 July 2024 QUNO NY partnered with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPACC) to host an interactive event during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF, see more about the Forum below), which simulated building political will for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Working at the UN, it’s easy to feel discouraged. Over recent years, staff of the Quaker UN Offices in Geneva and New York have had front-row seats watching repeated instances when powerful countries have ignored basic tenets of international law and not lived up to their commitments under the UN Charter. At a recent meeting of the Quaker UN Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, we were asked to reflect on the current state of the UN, including the challenges and opportunities facing the institution. 

QUNO NY attended the 2024 United Nations Civil Society Conference (UNCSC) with a focus on peace and connecting with civil society from around the world. Alongside Eunice Ndonga, Migration Director for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Pauline Kamau, Quaker International Affairs Representative for the Africa Region of AFSC, QUNO NY UN Rep Kavita Desai joined the 2024 UNCSC from 9-10 May, at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in New York seeks a committed and motivated person with considerable knowledge and experience to carry forward QUNO’s efforts to expand support for the UN’s role in building lasting peace. 

This Representative position functions as a senior member of the QUNO team, sharing program responsibilities while taking particular care of QUNO’s Program Assistant program.