To Save Us From Hell

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgOne of the fundamental precepts of the United Nations Charter is that waging war against another UN member state is simply not permitted. It’s illegal. There are, however, some narrow exceptions — and here the United States is playing a game of legal legerdemain. In the first segment of our show, we break down the formal legal justification the Trump administration invoked at the United Nations to defend its bombing campaign against Iran. Does it hold up? And more importantly, how do other countries view this retroactive justification for America and Israel’s war of choice? We also discuss a potential UN diplomatic intervention in the Strait of Hormuz that is gaining some traction, modeled on one of the UN’s successes during the Russia-Ukraine war.After the fold, and for paying subscribers, we examine why the United States is standing virtually alone at the Commission on the Status of Women, casting lone “no” votes on a host of measures intended to promote gender equality. Finally, we discuss the newest entrant in the race to replace António Guterres as secretary-general, Virginia Gamba, and how her nomination may shake up the race.https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgWe cover a lot of ground in this week’s episode of To Save Us From Hell! There are two new entrants to the race to succeed António Guterres as the next UN Secretary-General; Cindy McCain announced she is stepping down as head of the World Food Programme, meaning there will soon be a vacancy at the top of one of the largest UN agencies—one typically led …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgIt was an odd juxtaposition: Trump’s inaugural Board of Peace gathered in Washington, D.C. as the U.S. appeared to be readying for war with Iran. In this week’s To Save Us From Hell episode, Mark and Anjali discuss why this Board of Peace can’t really compete with the Security Council, and what its advent says about international relations today. They t…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgFor the first time in history, multiple countries have jointly nominated a candidate for UN Secretary General. Earlier this week, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico endorsed Michelle Bachelet—a former president of Chile, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a survivor of brutal repression under the Pinochet regime. The move is unprecedented—and pote…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgCan Donald Trump’s new Board of Peace really compete with the Security Council? Will we even be discussing it a week or two from now, or will Trump and other world leaders simply move on? And what’s with the Board’s logo, which looks almost like a parody of the United Nations emblem?Mark and Anjali break down the newest—and perhaps strangest—entrant int…

The U.S. military's unexpected operation in Venezuela sparked an emergency Security Council meeting, leading to a flurry of international reactions. The hosts dissect responses from Latin America, Denmark, and South Africa, contrasting them with reactions to the Ukraine conflict. They examine how the Maduro regime’s actions influenced council dynamics and highlight concerns over Venezuelan sovereignty. With discussions on potential shifts in global power and the UN's future, this moment serves as a critical juncture for international relations.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgDiscount link for full episode: https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff Your very own To Save Us From Hell co-host Anjali Dayal briefed the United Nations Security Council on Monday! She was paired with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a special meeting of the Council dedicated to examining the role of the Secretary-General and the process for selecting Antonio Guterres’s successor. Anjali gives co-host Mark Leon…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgOn December 4, the entire United Nations Security Council made an unprecedented trip to Syria. It is hard to overstate what a significant turning point this represents — both for the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole. For thirteen long years, the civil war in Syria was the largest and most brutal conflict in the world, and one that stymied the United Nations by exposing massive geopolitical rifts between key global powers. We may now look to Gaza or Ukraine as examples of paralysis at the Security Council — but it was Syria that first broke it.Now, all fifteen members are in Damascus, in an important show of unity. Mark and Anjali break down why this trip is so significant and what role the UN can play in supporting Syria’s democratic transition.After the paywall: Mark and Anjali discuss shocking new revelations about the UN’s budget, and what the official “pre-launch” of the selection process for the next Secretary-General tells us about how the UN’s next leader will be chosen.Discount link: https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff

On Monday evening, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2803, formally endorsing Trump’s peace initiative for Gaza. The resolution passed overwhelmingly, with 13 votes in favor, none against, and two abstentions (from Russia and China), following several weeks of U.S.-led diplomatic wrangling. There are a few ways to interpret this resolution. On one hand, it finally offers a semblance of international unity on how to confront the crisis in Gaza and the devastation wrought by Israel’s conduct during the war. On the other hand, the resolution is half-baked. It contains ideas that might work in theory, but in the specific context of Gaza, it is difficult to see how they could be implemented.In today’s (free!) episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I break down what we see as the key challenges to implementing this resolution. We discuss how it came together — and whether it can help this fragile ceasefire hold.Most of To Save Us From Hell is behind a paywall, but we recorded this episode live and wanted to bring it to you for free. We’d love your support to keep this show thriving — please upgrade to a paid subscription! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globaldispatches.org/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgNew York isn’t just the cultural and media capital of the United States — it’s also the host city to the United Nations. Since 1962, City Hall has maintained a special office dedicated to liaising with the UN. Anjali and Mark discuss the history of this office and how municipal elections in New York are actually quite consequential for the United Nations.Also discussed this week: a new development in the race to replace António Guterres as UN Secretary-General; how the UN is responding to the unfolding disaster in Sudan; and whether the Security Council will approve a U.S.-drafted resolution to deploy an international security force to Gaza.https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff