Welcome to the Quaker United Nations Office!

Peaceable Kingdom by Quaker artist Edward Hicks. Copyright©2005 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Over the past sixty years, Quakers have sought to support the work of the UN and its vision, like that of Edward Hicks, of a world where opposing forces could live together in peace.

The Quaker United Nations Office, located in Geneva and New York, represents Quakers through Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC). Since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, Quakers have shared that organisation's aims and supported its efforts to abolish war and promote peaceful resolution of conflicts, human rights, economic justice and good governance.

FWCC, which links Quakers around the world, has had consultative status with the United Nations' Economic and Social Council as an international non-governmental organisation since 1948. In July 2002, FWCC was moved from Special Status to General Status. By this move, the UN has recognized that Friends do work of importance in a very broad range of international concerns.

This status allows the QUNO staff to attend many UN meetings, to receive documents and to make written and oral statements and to suggest agenda items to the Economic and Social Council. QUNO staff also work with other multilateral organisations, such as the World Trade Organisation, International Labour Organisation, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and others relevant to our areas of concern. Click here to learn more about our status at the U.N.

Most Recent QUNO Publications:

• Annual Report - QUNO Geneva, 2008 (pdf 1.97 mb)
• Geneva Reporter, February - April 2009 (pdf 867 kb)
• Progress on Armed Violence and Development: Towards the UN Secretary General's Report, April 2009 (pdf 128kb)
• Conscientious Objection to Military Service 16 March 2009 joint oral statement of Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers) and Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI) delivered by Rachel Brett (pdf 48 kb)
• Human Rights Council 10th Session Agenda item 3: Inter-Active Dialogue with Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 6 March 2009 joint oral statement of Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers) and Amnesty International delivered by Rachel Brett (pdf 58 kb)
• The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development: An International Newsletter. Issue 5, February 2009. Available in English, French and Spanish
• International Standards on Conscientious Objection to Military Service, (English), (Español), (Français), (Deutsch), Rachel Brett, November 2008 (pdf 1.05 mb)
• In & Around the UN, January 2009 (pdf 264kb)
• Good Practices Magazine: Inspiring Actions, Merging Agendas: From Armed Violence to Development (produced jointly by Viva Rio, Comunidad Segura and QUNO), Year 1. Number 2, November 2008.
• UK and Committee on the Rights of the Child, October 2008 (pdf 183kb)
• Patents & Quaker Action. (English) (pdf 419kb), (Arabic) (pdf 672kb)
• Patents, Trade & Health (English) (pdf 288kb), (Arabic) (pdf 709kb)
• Patents, Trade & Food(English) (pdf 339kb), (Arabic) (pdf 647kb)
• Patents, Trade & Development. (English) (pdf 338kb), (Arabic) (pdf 672kb)
• The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development: An International Newsletter on Integrating Armed Violence Prevention and Reduction into Development Strategies. Issue 3, (English), (Français) October 2008.
• Women in prison: A commentary on the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (English), (Español), (Français), M. Bastick & L. Townhead, June 2008 (pdf 1.26 mb)
• Digging Foundations or Trenches? UN Human Rights Council: Year 2, R. Brett, August 2008 (pdf 464kb)