Interviews

For over eight decades, the UN General Assembly has served as the world's most representative forum, bringing nations together to debate some of the defining challenges of the day. When it was founded in 1945, the architects of the UN expected the Security Council to be at the centre of global decision-making. But Cold War tensions soon sowed division – shifting much of the political debate to the assembly. Richard Gowan, Director of UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group in New York, tells UN News's Ana Carmo that, despite repeated predictions of its demise, the assembly remains indispensable.

Rapid advances in technology are fundamentally changing the global crime landscape, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). As its newly-appointed Executive Director, Monica Juma is heading to the 15th UN Crime Congress, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 26 September through 1 October, for the first time in charge of the key agency. In an interview with UN News's Ezzat El-Ferri in Vienna, Ms. Juma highlighted how criminal groups are making increasing use of digital tools to reach victims across borders almost instantly. She tells us it's time for governments and institutions to respond more effectively.

Yemen's decade-long conflict between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces has dangerously escalated over the past week, reaching a new peak after months of rising tensions. An estimated 46,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed just over a week ago, with numbers expected to rise further as the situation continues to change "by the hour". Houthi fighters have seized the strategic port of Mokha and reportedly an island in the Red Sea — a major threat to the shipping routes they have been targeting. Speaking to UN News' Khaled Haridy, Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Yemen, explains how the humanitarian crisis is worsening, the UN response to growing needs, and the challenges hampering its work.

Two weeks after a glacier collapse triggered devastating floods in northern Nepal, entire communities remain cut off, homes lie buried under tonnes of rubble, and families are still waiting for news of loved ones. According to latest figures from the UN humanitarian affairs office, 1,267 people have died and some 5,132 remain missing, while the UN estimates the disaster created at least 2.2 million tonnes of debris. The regional director for UN field operations arm UNOPS, Sara Netzer, was on the ground following the floods that affected around 84,000 people. In an interview with UN News's Nancy Sarkis, she says the scale of destruction is unlike anything she saw after Nepal's 2015 earthquake, and that rebuilding will take time.

As a new school year begins, classrooms are reopening and children are returning to their studies – but that's not the case for many young Palestinians. For many in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, schools run by the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, have provided a pathway to opportunity for generations, with some 2.5 million students graduating. However, financial constraints and conflict have disrupted or shattered their progress, threatening to further derail their prospects for the future. In an interview with UN News's Reem Abaza, UNRWA Director of Education Julia Dicon discusses what education means to Palestine refugee children and why sustained support is critical.

Despite increasingly difficult conditions, the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, continues to operate on the ground, remaining a vital lifeline and providing education, healthcare, humanitarian aid and social protection in Gaza and the West Bank. Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank, spoke to UN News' Reem Abaza and stressed that the issue goes beyond the agency itself, saying the “restoration of respect for the United Nations at large and for UNRWA as an agency mandated by the General Assembly” is essential. He warned that shrinking humanitarian space and displacement are dangerous trends and underlined that urgency of returning to a credible pathway towards the two-State solution and eventually a situation where UNRWA as an agency “does not have to do its work anymore because the conflict is moving towards a solution”.

When an emergency strikes, the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, aims to get life-saving supplies moving within 72 hours. UNICEF's emergency response includes health, water and sanitation, education and recreation kits, as well as critical support for vaccine cold chains. At its major humanitarian supply hub in Copenhagen, Denmark, emergency kits are pre-positioned and ready to be dispatched to countries affected by conflict or natural disasters. Erika Abs, UNICEF Emergency Supply and Logistics Coordinator, spoke to UN News's Felipe de Carvalho and explained why much of the most important work happens before emergencies even begin.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to support agriculture across Africa, helping farmers access weather, crop and market information. But the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says better connectivity, reliable infrastructure, relevant data and digital skills are needed to ensure smallholder farmers can benefit from these technologies. Meshack Malo, FAO's Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, told UN News's Feissal Kirwa that fewer than 10 per cent of farmers are currently benefiting from digital agriculture services, with rural communities particularly affected by limited connectivity.

Acts of terrorism driven by hateful ideologies continue to injure, harm and kill thousands of innocent people each year. For Hassan Ndugwa – a survivor of the 2010 terrorist attack targeting a screening of the football World Cup Final in Kampala, Uganda – the experience became a call for action. Angered by the misrepresentation of Islam in the aftermath of the attacks, Mr. Ndugwa and a fellow survivor founded the Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum to prevent violent extremism and promote peace through religious and community engagement. In an interview with UN News's Assumpta Massoi, he emphasised the importance of survivor voices and the role of remembrance in healing.

When a major disaster strikes, the first hours are critical. Within 48 hours of receiving a formal request from an affected country, the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system can deploy a team of experts to support national emergency response. The teams, managed and trained by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), bring together specialists from different countries and organisations, based on the specific needs identified on the ground. Sérgio da Silva, leader of the UNDAC team, explained to UN News's Felipe de Carvalho how this global network is mobilised in the immediate aftermath of earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and other environmental or man-made disasters.

Can fashion help bring people together as well as set trends and mould culture worldwide? Fashion designer and environmentalist Runa Ray believes it can. Her exhibition Repurposing Fashion: Reimagining Peace, now open at UN Headquarters in New York, transforms discarded textiles into works of art carrying messages of peace from 30 countries. Speaking to UN News' Cristina Silveiro, she explains why she believes "fashion has a greater purpose" than glamour alone

Scaling up Ebola response in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo must include measures such as increased surveillance, more transport options to bring patients to treatment centres and greater engagement with the public. That's the message from Dr. Anne Ancia, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Representative in the country, speaking from Bunia – the epicentre of the crisis. She told UN News's Eleuterio Guevane that communities are also asking for the international community to address other health pressing concerns in a region where women still die in childbirth and people are facing famine-like conditions. She began by outlining the immense needs, and the vast amount of work that still needs to be done. 

Colombia's search and rescue operations continue after Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which has killed at least 111 people. The United Nations is now assessing where its presence and resources can be most useful.UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia María José Torres Macho said the Government has already reached out to the UN, and the Organization has teams on the ground in some of the hardest-hit areas – with potential support ahead in food security, health, water and sanitation, and protection.She said UN teams are also beginning to look past the emergency, toward recovery and reconstruction.Laura Quiñones spoke with her about the situation and what comes next.

With the worst Ebola outbreak in the history of DR Congo still raging, UN peacekeepers must continue to protect civilians from both the virus and violence at the hands of multiple armed groups operating in the region, the Force Commander there has told UN News.MONUSCO's General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes said 'blue helmets' had increased their presence to ensure civilians are fully protected, while troops were working with local authorities and the World Health Organization to ensure there is enough security amid the outbreak.He told Eleuterio Guevane troops were playing other key roles including conducting vital community awareness campaigns and establishing rapid mobile operating bases to protect treatment centres.

Every day, judges make decisions that change lives forever. They do so while reckoning with some of the worst of human nature, overwhelming workloads and constant public scrutiny - pressures that can ultimately affect the quality of justice they deliver.The Honorable Rangajeeva Wimalasena, Judge of the National and Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea, told UN News that judicial well-being is not simply about providing support for the profession, it's also about safeguarding the integrity of courts and ensuring fair, impartial justice for all.He spoke to Jolina Dong – who last year saw the law in action up close after interning at the US Supreme Court – just ahead of the International Day of Judicial Well-being on 25 July.

Operating in some of the world's worst humanitarian hotspots, the World Food Programme's (WFP) aviation service is the backbone of emergency relief efforts and a lifeline for isolated communities.From war-torn Sudan to Ebola-affected eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond, millions of civilians rely on aid to survive.  In turn, more than 680 humanitarian organizations worldwide count on the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to reach populations cut off by conflict, disease or natural disaster.Hedley Tah, UNHAS Head of External Relations, spoke to UN News's Nathalie Minard about the critical role the service plays. 

Little progress has been made for the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which an estimated 20 per cent of the world's oils and gas supplies pass and which is now effectively closed as Iran and the United States continue to ratchet up strikes and counterstrikes.That's according to the head of the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, who told UN News that some 6,000 seafarers are still trapped on around 500 ships, in the Persian Gulf behind the strait.IMO is advising shipping not to attempt the passage until the conflict has been resolved.Daniel Dickinson spoke to Mr. Dominguez about what options are available to reopen the waterway but began by asking him for an update on the current situation in the gulf.

For Elisha Acheampong Darko, the climate crisis is personal.Since losing his friend to a flood in Ghana, which he attributes partially to climate change, Mr. Darko has worked to empower young people to fight for climate justice.As an undergraduate student at the University of Education, Winneba, in Ghana, Mr. Darko founded Join Me Today, a youth-led organization dedicated to protecting the environment from pollution and climate-related hazards.UN News' Isaiah Steinberg asked him how a degree from the UN University fits into his journey in climate research and civil society.

As demand continues to grow for the critical minerals that power our mobile phones, electric cars and more, who's looking out for the mainly indigenous peoples whose territories contain the vast majority of these natural riches?Tackling the issue from a human rights angle is UN Human Rights Council-appointed independent rights expert on climate change, Eliza Morgera, who's been talking to UN News's Daniel Johnson on the same day as the Security Council meets to discuss how to ensure that critical minerals extraction promotes peace and development, rather than conflict. 

Too often, children are casualties of war. Sometimes, they're even forced to fight. That's the case in South Sudan, where UNICEF – the UN Children's Fund, together with the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) – work with the Government to support the release and reintegration of underage fighters.Daniel Johnson spoke to the agency's South Sudan Chief of Child Protection, Brendan Ross, from the capital Juba.

On the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar, the Government and local businesses faced a challenge: they relied on surveys conducted only once per year, making it difficult to quickly respond to travelers' needs.Following conversations with the Tanzanian government on how to advance development and grow the tourism industry, the UN Development Programme, or UNDP, created a platform called Jozani AI – named after a national forest in Zanzibar – to empower the local government and local businesses to make more informed decisions.That's just one example of how, even as the UN works to create a global governance framework for artificial intelligence, it is also using the technology to address global challenges and improve people's lives.The UNDP's Deputy Resident Representative in Tanzania is John Rutere.UN News' Isaiah Steinberg asked him how Jozani AI is helping people in Tanzania.

An upsurge in violence in Haiti could be in anticipation of more “assertive operations” by the recently formed UN-backed Gang Suppression Force as rival gangs in the beleaguered Caribbean Island nation fight for control of territory and resources.Gangs control the vast majority of the capital Port-au-Prince, and terrorize the population with murder, rape and kidnapping for ransom.Some 1.5 million Haitians have been driven from their homes by the gangs.The UN Designated Expert on Human Rights in Haiti, William O'Neill, is a frequent visitor to the country.UN News's Daniel Dickinson asked him what is driving the increase in violence. 

Professor Serigne Gueye, a Senegalese urologist and world expert on obstetric fistula, has spent decades helping women recover from one of the most devastating – yet preventable – childbirth injuries. Honoured with this year's UN Population Award, he has treated patients across Africa, trained surgeons from more than 45 countries and championed access to quality maternal services.In an interview with UN News's Ana Carmo, Professor Gueye said eliminating obstetric fistula depends on stronger maternal health systems and universal access to emergency obstetric care.

As governments, industry leaders and researchers gather in Geneva on Monday for the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the AI for Good Summit, a UN expert says managing artificial intelligence responsibly will require action from everyone, not just policymakers.Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of the UN University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health, told UN News's Nathalie Minard that governments, technology companies and users all have a role to play in reducing AI's growing environmental footprint – and ensuring the benefits outweigh costs.

As drones, artificial intelligence and new weapons transform modern warfare, Ukraine has become one of the world's most mine-contaminated countries, creating new dangers for civilians while threatening global food security and recovery. In an interview with UN News, Paul Heslop, Senior Mine Action Adviser for the UN Mine Action Service in Ukraine, explains how drones have fundamentally changed the battlefield, making conflicts more lethal and leaving behind increasingly complex explosive hazards. Speaking to Jolina Dong, Mr. Heslop discussed how Ukrainian deminers are adapting to these new threats, why clearing contaminated land is essential for rebuilding – and how innovation in Ukraine could transform humanitarian mine action worldwide.

A night of heavy strikes across Kyiv has left children and families facing widespread destruction, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine.At least 20 people are now reported to have been killed in the Kyiv attacks. UNICEF is also deeply saddened by reports of a seven-year-old girl killed in the Dnipro region on Thursday.Speaking to UN News's Evgeniya Kleshcheva after visiting some of the affected sites, UNICEF Chief of Communications and Advocacy Toby Fricker described the severe damage he'd witnessed to residential buildings and a nearby kindergarten.

As synthetic drugs spread into new markets and traffickers develop increasingly potent substances, the global drug landscape is becoming more complex, unpredictable and dangerous, the 2026 World Drug Report reveals.In an exclusive interview with UN News, Chloé Carpentier, lead researcher on the report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), warned that powerful new synthetic opioids, persistent gaps in access to treatment and the growing links between conflict and drug trafficking are reshaping the global drug crisis.Speaking to Jolina Dong, Ms. Carpentier explained why adolescents, women and people living in humanitarian settings face some of the greatest risks, and why stronger international cooperation is essential to keeping pace with a changing global drug market.

Five days after two deadly earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela, the UN says the emergency is far from over. With search-and-rescue operations continuing, Vanessa May, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the stricken South American nation, told UN News's Victoria Fernandez that families who have lost their homes and loved ones will need sustained support, including psychosocial care alongside food, water and shelter. She stressed that recovery and reconstruction “will take time”, as the UN and its partners prepare for the next phase of the humanitarian response.

Following the earthquakes in Venezuela, teams from 27 countries continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble. From La Guaira, the most affected region, families describe the agonizing wait, while the United Nations coordinates the response and expands assistance for those who have lost their homes.

Women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank continue to face severe challenges due to conflict and displacement, while funding cuts have undermined access to healthcare and protection services.The UN agency responsible for maternal and reproductive healthcare, UNFPA, is warning that humanitarian needs remain immense, with services for mothers and babies under growing strain.Nestor Owomuhangi, the agency's Representative in Palestine, told Reem Abaza from UN News that the number of women in Gaza reporting suicidal tendencies through UNFPA-supported facilities has more than doubled in the past two years, highlighting the worsening psychological toll of the crisis.

A new generation of HIV prevention tools could help reshape the global response to the virus which has led to the deaths of over 44 million worldwide – but without sustained funding, political commitment and community leadership, millions more risk being left behind.Ahead of next week's High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of the Prosperity and Well-being Hub at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), told UN News the world's reached a pivotal moment in the fight against HIV as Governments prepare to negotiate a new Political Declaration.Speaking to Jolina Dong, Ms. Dhaliwal outlined the development body's new Power of Prevention initiative, which supports the community-led rollout of lenacapavir, a highly effective HIV prevention injection administered twice a year, in high-need countries.

Sustainability in the kitchen is increasingly seen not just as a trend, but as a necessity shaped by economic pressures and changing consumer expectations.Chef Jaume Biarnés, a former member of the world-renowned El Bulli restaurant team in Spain, and now Director of the Yondu Culinary Studio in New York, believes that sustainability is integral to modern cookingHe told Liudmila Blagonravova from UN News about the key role fermentation plays in reducing waste and boosting flavour – and how simple, practical steps can help both chefs and home cooks adopt more sustainable habits.

Hate speech is an unavoidable menace today – particularly so for women and girls – on and offline. The abuse they face is increasingly fuelled by so-called “manosphere” online influencers.Their posts primarily target young men and boys to promote a warped view of masculinity, usually by promoting rigid gender roles and misogyny.To mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech on 18 June, UN News's Nathalie Minard sat down with Kalliopi Mingeirou from gender equality agency UN Women, where she's leading efforts to end gender-based violence.

Since its launch in March 2025, the UN80 initiative has moved into a decisive phase. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, joins UN News's Laura Quinones to discuss what has changed, what results are already emerging, and how the United Nations is working to become more effective at a time of growing financial and political pressure.

In Lebanon, UN teams and partners are dealing with a country in flames as the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) appealed on Wednesday for a “sustained cessation of hostilities”.As thousands of families continue to be displaced and uprooted by the violence between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli military since March, UN News's Daniel Johnson discussed the impact on children with Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF representative in Lebanon.Our first question to him was to describe what families in Lebanon are going through.

Global cooperation is essential as criminal networks become more complex, sophisticated and interconnected, according to the new Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, Monica Juma, who took office last month.Speaking to UN News's Ezzat El-Ferri, the former Kenyan national security adviser said no single country, region or sector can tackle today's security challenges alone. Ahead of the UN Crime Congress in Abu Dhabi this September, she highlighted the growing links between organized crime, corruption, trafficking, terrorism and emerging technologies, and stressed the need for stronger international cooperation to address these evolving threats.Ms. Juma began by reflecting on her first weeks in office before outlining her priorities.

Four months of escalating violence and displacement in Lebanon are having a severe impact on women and girls.According to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, more than 1.4 million people are now displaced across the country – over 20 per cent of the population – including an estimated 16,000 pregnant women. Meanwhile, damage to health facilities is limiting access to essential maternal and reproductive healthcare.UNFPA Representative in Lebanon, Anandita Philipose, told UN News's Abdelmonem Makki that overcrowded shelters and ongoing insecurity are leaving many women afraid to seek medical care.

Funding cuts to health programmes are directly affecting women and girls in Yemen, according to the country head of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA).Francesco Galtieri has been visiting UN Headquarters in New York this week to plead the case for more funds, in a country where more than 60 per cent of health infrastructure has been destroyed during well over a decade of brutal war.Mr. Galtieri told Reem Abaza from UN News that Yemen has become a forgotten crisis, despite the overwhelming humanitarian needs.

Human rights are "part of our DNA," according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who is championing a new Global Alliance at a time of rising conflicts, growing inequalities and mounting climate pressures.The initiative aims to bring together governments, civil society, businesses, academics and communities to place human rights at the centre of decision-making ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2028.Speaking to UN News's Srdan Slavkovic in Geneva, the global hub for human rights diplomacy and advocacy, Mr. Türk explained how the Alliance aims to inspire action.

Security personnel supporting UN operations in South Ukraine are navigating rapidly shifting frontlines and difficult choices to help humanitarians reach communities affected by the war – all while balancing operational risks with urgent needs on the ground.Olga Scripovscaia, Area Security Adviser with the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) based in Odesa, told UN News in an exclusive interview that her team works around the clock to assess threats, map routes and support missions in some of the country's highest-risk areas.Speaking to Jolina Dong, Ms. Scripovscaia reflected on intense working days, where she sometimes must scrape by on just a few hours' sleep a night. 

Health workers responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are working closely with local communities, recognising that trust is as critical as testing and treatment, to stop the disease in its tracks.Dr Marie-Roseline Belizaire, Africa's Emergencies Director for the World Health Organization (WHO) told UN News in an exclusive interview this week that response teams are engaging with women's groups, youth leaders, motorcycle drivers and traditional healers to dispel misinformation and explain how people can protect themselves.She told Cristina Silveiro that, instead of dismissing widely held beliefs, health workers are seeking to “integrate science” so that sick people come forward for treatment.

Major Abhilasha Barak, an Indian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), has been named this year's Military Gender Advocate of the Year.She was recognised for her outstanding leadership in promoting gender-responsive peacekeeping and advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda during her deployment with the frontline mission since June 2025 – which has seen seven ‘blue helmets' killed in the line of duty since hostilities erupted in March between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.Speaking to UN News's Pooja Yadav, Major Barak highlighted the importance of integrating gender perspectives and working closely with local communities.