As co-facilitator of the Civil Society – UN Prevention Platform, QUNO co-hosted a meeting entitled ‘Responding to Socio-economic and Humanitarian Impacts of COVID-19 Through Civil Society - Peace and Development Advisor Partnerships.’ This discussion was jointly hosted with the UN Development Programme (UNDP)-Department of Political Affairs (DPPA) Joint Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention, which currently deploys over 56 Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs) around the world. 

As part of our work to uphold the rights of children of parents sentenced to death or executed QUNO raises this issue in relevant UN meetings, highlighting legal developments and calling on all to act to limit their suffering.

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.  

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) believes in the inherent worth of every individual and is committed to working for migration justice. This includes the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants, regardless of migration status. Migration has been an integral component of our societies throughout history; however, migrants continue to face hostility, criminalization and violence which underlines what the High Commissioner of Human Rights has described as a lethal disregard for migrant’s lives.

The six months since our last newsletter have been extraordinary ones as COVID-19 hit New York in force in March. As the pandemic unfolded, QUNO staff members quickly adjusted to working from home, with staff reaching out to friends and colleagues throughout the UN system and to peacebuilding practitioners around the world, listening, supporting, and seeking to understand how these new conditions were impacting global efforts for peace.

QUNO was pleased to have actively engaged in the informal negotiations of a landmark new UN Human Rights Council resolution on prevention. The resolution, led by a core group of Norway, Sierra Leone, Switzerland and Uruguay, was adopted by vote at the 45th session of the Council with 32 in favour, 11 abstentions and 3 against.

The resolution included significant elements that QUNO had supported and highlighted, including:

On 10th November, and in partnership with the Geneva Human Rights Platform at the Geneva Academy and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, QUNO hosted an event with the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UN Working Group) to discuss their latest report to the General Assembly focused on conflict-affected areas.

QUNO has been working on the human rights of migrants at the international level to promote the protection of human rights of all regardless of migration status. Recently, QUNO has been working more on relating structural racism to migration policies, this work recognises that in order to achieve migration justice we must understand the role racism plays in migration laws and policy.