QUNO held – together with CARE International, Catholic Relief Service, CGIAR Challenge Programme on Water and Food; Howard G. Buffett Foundation; International Institute for Environment and Development and International Union for Conservation of Nature – a seminar on “Water Management and Peacebuilding: Connecting the Local to International Policy” at the Stockholm World Water Week in September. The seminar shared examples of policy and practice that bring water, land and food management together with peacebuilding and rights-based approaches. The seminar further explored ways to bring local communities into decision making around natural resource management, and ensure that local experience can inform national and international policy.
A Call for Climate Action: Protect Human Rights and Decrease Military Expending
HICC at the Human Rights Council QUNO participated in the climate and environmental discussions held in the 60th session Human Rights Council in Geneva. Through its Human Impacts of Climate Change (HICC) programme, QUNO delivered an oral statement on the critical role of human rights in climate action. Additionally, HICC contributed to a discussion on how military activities undermine the right to a healthy environment through their toxic and hazardous impacts. Lindsey Fielder Cook, HICC’s Representative, served as a panelist in the side event The Toxic Impact of Military Activities alongside the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights, and representatives from Earthjustice, the Center for Global Nonkilling, and Dejusticia. The event discussed the findings and implications of the Special Rapporteur’s recent report on the human rights impacts of hazardous substances and waste resulting from military operations. Building on the Quakers Peace Testimony, QUNO emphasized that war is an abomination of human rights and highlighted how this report proves that military activities harm human beings and earth far beyond wartimes. Lindsey also underscored that military activities are responsible for nearly 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, countries are not required to report these emissions into their National Determined […]






