To Save Us From Hell

It’s an annual UNGA tradition!For the umpteenth year in a row, Richard Gowan, Anjali Dayal, and I sit down for a wide-ranging chat about all things UNGA. Richard Gowan, of course, is the oft-quoted UN expert who serves as the UN Director of the International Crisis Group.The three of us caught up a few hours after Biden’s farewell UNGA address and spent a good portion of our conversation dissecting his speech and reflecting on how the United Nations has changed during Biden's tenure as U.S. President. We also discussed Antonio Guterres’ speech and his coinage of a catchy new phrase to describe geopolitics today: “purgatory of polarity.” We kick off, however, by discussing the drama that unfolded at the Summit of the Future, where Russian malfeasance threatened to torpedo years of negotiations—all at the last minute.https://www.globaldispatches.org/unga79 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

Linda Thomas-Greenfield made big waves around the UN this week when she rolled out a new and rather detailed American proposal for reforming the staid United Nations Security Council. The proposal is quite concrete and would likely be popular among most of the 193 UN member states. But is this just a cynical ploy to curry favor with Africa and much of the developing world ahead of UNGA? And how could a plan like this turn from an idea into concrete action? In today’s episode, Anjali Dayal and Mark Leon Goldberg dissect the Biden administration’s push for Security Council reform — and whether or not it can succeed.Get a discounted subscription through this link! https://www.globaldispatches.org/unga79 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.orgAbout 140 world leaders are scheduled to address the opening of the 79th United Nations General Assembly. That’s a lot of speeches! In today’s episode, co-hosts Mark Leon Goldberg and Anjali Dayal preview some of the most anticipated speeches of UNGA. From inspirational and high-minded addresses by moral heavyweights to cringeworthy speeches by coup leaders and war criminals, we break down some of the key speeches that will drive the agenda during UN week. This is your preview of the United Nations General Assembly Speech-a-thon.The full episode is available exclusively to paid subscribers. But not to worry—we're running a UNGA special! Visit this link to get a discounted subscription and unlock this episode and all future episodes of To Save Us From Hell.https://www.globaldispatches.org/UNGA79

"A rare bright spot amid the disastrous conflict in the Gaza Strip" is how UNICEF described the successful first phase of a massive polio vaccination campaign in Gaza. Polio was confirmed three weeks ago, and over the last several days, UNICEF, the WHO, and UNRWA have taken advantage of humanitarian pauses in the fighting to administer hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses. In our first segment, we discuss how this vaccination campaign is being carried out and why it has been successful so far, while other humanitarian interventions have faltered. What makes this polio vaccination campaign so different?Next, we examine a new piece in Foreign Affairs by UN Peacekeeping Chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix, which laments the lack of peace-making efforts in the world today. Lastly, Anjali interviews Kayla Redstone from the Universal Postal Union, a little-known but hugely important UN agency that enables people to send mail and parcels virtually anywhere in the world. It’s mundane multilateralism—and it works!Support our effort to bring you this show each week by purchasing a subscription. https://www.globaldispatches.org/ 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.orgOn August 8th, a committee representing most UN Member States approved a draft text of a new United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime. Despite the support from the majority of UN member states, civil society and private sector groups are arguing against its adoption. In fact, the proposed Convention on Cybercrime has the dubious distinction of being opposed by industry titans like CISCO, Amazon, and Microsoft, as well as major watchdogs such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Human Rights Watch.So, what is the problem with this convention? And how did an idea that originated with Russia, and is backed by China, North Korea, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Syria, Cambodia, Venezuela, and Belarus, end up gaining the support of most other UN member states, including the United States and Europe?Today’s episode of To Save Us From Hell takes a deep dive into the UN Cybercrime Convention and is available exclusively to our community of paying supporters. Go here for a discounted subscription: https://www.globaldispatches.org/SaveUs

Discover the pivotal Summit of the Future, a gathering poised to reshape the United Nations and global cooperation amid crises. Experts discuss necessary reforms to enhance multilateralism and tackle pressing issues like climate finance. The dialogue highlights the crucial role of political engagement, youth involvement, and accountability in transforming ambitions into reality. Tune in for insights on how innovative approaches can rejuvenate international governance and address contemporary challenges.

As certified UN-Nerds, Anjali Dayal and Mark Leon Goldberg's ears always perk up when they see the UN represented in pop culture. In this special episode of To Save Us From Hell, we take a deep dive into how the United Nations is portrayed in popular music, television shows, and film. From Lou Reed to Charlize Theron to Doctor Who —we explore the cultural impact of the United Nations from the 1950s to today. 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

Our first segment discusses both spurious and verified accusations that some UNRWA staff in Gaza may have been involved October 7th attacks. Two new reports this week shed light on how wild accusations against UNRWA are less than credible. Our second segment looks at how the UN is approaching the war in Sudan, which by the numbers is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. We discuss a Security Council meeting on Darfur featuring the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and a second meeting on the humanitarian crisis, including a recent report showing famine conditions are spreading among 500,000 people in a vast IDP camp in Darfur. In our third segment, we discuss the International Seabed Authority, which is an entity created by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that seeks to regulate deep sea mining. The International Seabed Authority recently had a hotly contested election for Secretary General that pitted an incumbent favored by industry against a challenger preferred by conservationists and scientists.A discount link for a full subscription. Please support our show! https://www.globaldispatches.org/SaveUs 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

Before we sat down to record this week’s episode, authorities in Iran announced that Hamas’ political leader, Ismael Haniyeh, was killed in Tehran. This news came just hours after Israel claimed responsibility for the targeted assassination of a top Hezbollah commander, who was killed in retaliation for a gruesome missile attack in the Golan Heights. Amidst this flurry, there is a heightened prospect that conflict will escalate further throughout the region. However, the UN offers a way out of this escalatory spiral, identified no less by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which on Wednesday released a statement saying, “The only way to prevent an all-out war is the immediate implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.” In our first segment, we explain what this means and whether an 18-year-old Security Council resolution can really prevent a wider war in the Middle East.Our second segment uses the occasion of Sierra Leone becoming the President of the Security Council for the month of August to tell the good-news story of one of the most successful UN peacekeeping missions of all time. Our third segment takes a deep dive into the work of ECOSOC, the Economic and Social Council, a UN body that receives very little attention despite its highly consequential work.As always, we depend on our audience to help us keep the light on. Please support our work with a paid subscription. You’ll unlock bonus content, like our recent segment on what Project 2025 says about the United Nations. 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

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield visited Port-au-Prince this week in a show of support for UN-backed efforts to bring a modicum of stability to Haiti. Her visit comes on the heels of the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti and a recent vote in the Security Council to back the UN’s Office in the country. In our second segment, we discuss the kick off of the race for the 80th President of the General Assembly, who will take office next year and profoundly shape the process of selecting the next UN Secretary General. We also discuss the concept of an “Olympic Truce” embraced by the United Nations and the UN-backed effort to establish an Refugee Olympic Team. 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