QUNO Geneva is pleased to share the most recent issue of our Geneva Reporter newsletter and accompanying briefing paper on The Aarhus Convention. Other featured articles include updates on our A New Framework for Trade and Investment in Agriculture work, the Human Rights Council, UN Climate Summit, and Peace and Disarmament.

QUNO and the South Centre, a Geneva based intergovernmental organization of developing countries, hosted a seminar with State delegates where author Jennifer Clapp presented the findings of her paper, “Trade Liberalization and Food Security: Examining the linkages.”  The paper was commissioned by QUNO, and is available here.

QUNO New York director Andrew Tomlinson was interviewed by the Western Friend, the official publication of Quakers in Pacific, North Pacific, and Intermountain Yearly Meetings, to talk about the work and impact of the Quaker presence at the United Nations. In a wide-ranging dialogue, Andrew discussed the long history of QUNO, its working methods, and the current policy priorities at the United Nations.

QUNO, together with the World Council of Churches and Religions for Peace, co-hosted a side event on the human rights impacts of anthropogenic climate change on 10 December 2014, during the 20th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Lima, Peru. 

In January QUNO hosted an informal civil society strategy session on Goal 16 and the role of related peace issues in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). After many years of inputs, from a variety of different sources and streams, the process to replace the Millennium Development Goals with the transformative SDG framework enters its final stages. 

In February, QUNO New York Director and UN Representative, Andrew Tomlinson, was interviewed by the Northern Spirit Radio, to talk about the work of the Quaker United Nations Office and share some insights on current UN processes and focus. Titled: "Tilting the UN Toward Peace & Justice" - the full interview can be found here. 

QUNO participated in the fifth meeting of the Aarhus Convention Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-Making on Environmental Matters from 23 to 24 February 2015. Entering into force in December 2001, the Aarhus Convention provides the publics of signatory states with a number of procedural rights with respect to the environment, including the right to access information, the right of participation, and the right to justice.