QUNO New York works in close partnership with UN diplomats and officials to increase the global commitment to the UN’s role in building lasting peace. We believe that the UN will only fulfill this aspect of its mandate when its peace initiatives truly respond to community needs, and we seek to build bridges between the UN in New York and voices from the ground.
QUNO staff members facilitate dialogue among UN stakeholders, help bring new ideas and perspectives from the ground to the international policy agenda, offer expert input into UN processes and represent the insights and concerns of Quakers at the UN.
QUNO consists of two offices, one in New York and one in Geneva, providing a joint Quaker witness and Quaker presence at the United Nations. The QUNO New York office is set up as a partnership between the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), acting together as trustees of the Quaker witness and the Quaker presence at the United Nations in New York. The Quaker UN Committee (QUNC) for New York is responsible for setting program priorities, reviewing program priorities with staff, recommending budgets to the AFSC Board of Directors, and monitoring and evaluating the work. The QUNO New York office is legally and administratively part of the AFSC, based in Philadelphia. At present, the QUNO New York office is using a hybrid model of work with staff working both in-person and from home.