Aoife Reaper-Reynolds - journal letter - March 2011

QUNO, Geneva

Dear Friends,

We have reached the six month mark and boy has it flown in! In early March, Carolan and I joined our fellow QPSW and QCEA peace-workers in Amsterdam for the European workers seminar. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear from everyone about their relevant organisations and share the highs and lows of our placements so far. It is so important to step back and take stock of the unique opportunity we have been given. For each of us, it was also important to establish some clear goals for the next six months.

The first session of the Conference on Disarmament has occupied much of my attention since January. Both the Canadian and Chilean presidencies have tried to revitalise discussions through unconventional ways of working. However, despite best efforts by some, the conference remains unable to adopt a programme of work. The main issue preventing progress is regarding the inclusion of a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in a programme of work. This is disappointing since an FMCT is only one aspect of the CD’s work and the stubborn way in which some states continue to stall the commencement of negotiations prevents urgently needed action on issues such as Space Security from taking place. However, there have also been positive steps taken toward making the Conference more accessible to civil society. QUNO together with Reaching Critical Will and members of the NGO Committee on Disarmament have continued to watch progress (or lack thereof) from the chambers of the conference. Hosted by the Canadian delegation, civil society was invited to address the CD on the four core issues (Nuclear Disarmament, FMCT, Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space and Negative Security Assurance) at a side event in the main chamber.

Our work on Geneva Declaration has continued to keep David and I busy. We are currently amidst a series of regional conferences on Armed Violence and Development in Nairobi, Rio, Kathmandu, Nigeria and possibly Croatia. QUNO is taking the lead on ensuring civil society representation at the conferences. The workshops for civil society are designed to give non-governmental organisations an opportunity to share their experiences and prepare them for further participation in the official regional states conferences. We are producing good practices magazines from each of the meetings which highlight the positive examples of civil society work on the areas of advocacy, measurability and programme implementation. I am also currently developing the Facebook network for the Working Group on Armed Violence and Development, the civil society section of the Geneva Declaration. The aim is to create a space for practitioners to exchange ideas and resources for use on programme development and implementation.

The current situation in Libya has raised a number of controversial questions both among Friends and in the wider Geneva community. It has been interesting to hear such varied opinions, particularly on the involvement of NATO. While official Quaker statements have largely condemned the intervention, others have challenged Friends to suggest a constructive alternative. It raises questions on the issue of ‘Responsibility to Protect’, Peacekeeping operations and the right national sovereignty. This has sparked a new piece of work for us at QUNO which I will begin working on this month. We hope to gain an understanding of the Quaker view of these issues, how we have responded to such questions in the past and what preventative measures can be taken to avoid the use of military action. If you have a particular opinion on such issues, I would be delighted to hear from you at quno1@quno.ch.

Winter in Geneva has not been nearly as bad as I had been led to believe. Nothing, at least, in comparison to the long hard Irish winter! Apart from some snow at the beginning of December, we have generally had a bright crisp season of sunshine and very few showers. This has made all the difference at a time when many of us can get a little low in the post-Christmas season. A little bit of sunshine goes a long way! The garden is filled with crocuses, daffodils and snow drops and today it is warm enough to sit out for lunch. However, I’m jumping ahead! Before Christmas, as the UN wound down for the holidays we here at QUNO decked the halls, put up our tree and organised a secret Santa for our Christmas party. The office felt very homely as the aroma of mulled wine and Christmas pudding filled the house. While flying home was a little touch and go, Carolan and I were among the lucky who managed to get back to Ireland in time for Christmas Eve. Since the holidays we have gone on a few day trips, the highlight of which had to be my birthday surprise trip to Lave les Bains with Carolan, Oliver Robertson and Chloe! Under instructions to bring a swimsuit and towel I must say I was a little concerned given it was still January! After a beautiful train journey around the lake we arrived at a thermal spa and spent the day in hot pools, Jacuzzis, saunas and Turkish baths. The best part was that while we swam in the heated outdoor pools, we were surrounded by sunny blue skies and snow peaked mountain tops.

The coming months will be filled with a number of trips, both for work and pleasure. Over Easter, Carolan and I will travel back to Ireland for JYM and Yearly Meeting where we will speak on QUNO and our experiences here. After the Quaker United Nations Committee Meeting in May I head to New York for the Meeting of Governmental Experts on the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons. I am currently brushing up on all things relating to tracing and tracking of weapons and am looking forward to seeing how the UN compares to its counterpart here in Geneva. Preparation for the summer school is well under way and I am keen to make it an exciting and colourful experience for all! With so much going on and the wonderful weather already a daily occurrence I am feeling very positive about the coming months and look forward to telling you all about it in August!

In Friendship,
Aoife