2001 Quaker Peace Roundtable:

QUNO Workshop
Summary-Outline by QUNO staff

5 General Trends in the International  System

�       Changing Nature of Conflict and Geopolitics

(increase of intrastate conflicts and persistence of seemingly intractable conflicts – Middle East, Iraq-U.S., FRY, Angola, Colombia, Sierra Leone, Great Lakes region; some positives, Northern Ireland, Koreas; U.S. searching for enemy; growing distance between EU and U.S.) 

�       Increased Demand on UN to respond to conflicts and humanitarian crises coupled with inability of organization to move quickly and in adequate financial and resource support from Member States(need to “do something”; rise in peace operations, often on ground for years; continued U.S. failure to pay dues; if not UN, then who? NATO/U.S. – Kosovo)

     �       Bundled Security: Call for more comprehensive and integrated approach to maintaining international peace and security and resulting overlap within UN system of roles (recognition by UN of its own failings – Rwanda, Srebenica – and need for reform, Brahimi Report; connections between prevention, peacebuilding, development, governance and justice, disarmament, environment, health, etc.) 

�       “Globalization” and international financial architecture: (need for clarity of relationships and roles; how do Bretten Woods institutions and other private economic actors impact peace and conflict situations?  How should the UN and other international political actors/bodies relate to them? – Global Compact) 

�       Continued Militarization vs. Improving Peace Technologies

(nuclear powers and RMA, proliferation of  small arms/light weapons and other “lesser” technology from developed to developing world, five permanent Security Council member nations plus Germany = 80-90% of conventional arms sold in world’s markets, U.S. about half; contrast to  shift toward conflict prevention and roots of conflict; movements for global civilian peace teams, blossoming conflict resolution field, and attention to local traditions of conflict management)

  4 “Hot” Issues at the UN on which QUNO Works  

�      Small Arms (Conference; NY and GVA)

                  �       Middle East (U.S. veto of resolution on I/P conflict and Iraq sanctions debate)

               �       Child Soldiers (NY and GVA)

                          �       Conflict Prevention (S-G Report; NY and GVA)

 3 Ways of Working as “a Quaker Presence at the UN”

     �      Facilitating Dialogue (off-the-record dialogues for diplomats; Ex. conflict prevention report luncheons) 

   �      Organizing NGO participation in UN processes (Ex.  small arms conference – in conjunction with Geneva) 

   �      Representing Friends concerns and interpreting UN work back out to Friends (try to respond to calls from global Quaker community, Ex. indigenous issues and Africa/AIDS; newsletter, briefing papers, outreach; how to deal with the need to represent global Friends) 

2 Ways You Can Help

�       Engage with us in thinking about and working on these issues (occasions like QPR very useful; keep us abreast of your work; explore collaborative possibilities with QUNO or others; UNA, World Feds, MCC, Peace  Action, AFSC regional, FCNL, etc.) 

�       Support QUNO’s work directly – Free at 50 Campaign  

 1 Question for You

�       How do you see the work we’ve described connecting with your own work or concerns? 

Discussion/ Q&A

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