To Save Us From Hell

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe General Assembly selected five new members of the Security Council and one new President of the General Assembly this week in not-so-hotly contested elections. These new Security Council members will take their seats in January, and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will assume the PGA gavel at UNGA in September. So what can we expect…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgDiscount subscription link for 40% Off --> https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff The UN is facing a major budget crunch. So how is it responding? One answer is UN80—a reform effort championed by the Secretary-General aimed at reducing the cost of operating the world body. Some proposals are beginning to take shape, including staff cuts, merging certain agencies, and—more controversially—shifting operations out of expensive cities li…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe race to succeed António Guterres is unofficially underway. His term as UN Secretary-General ends in December 2026, but the backroom jockeying has already begun. In this episode, Mark and Anjali are joined by Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group to break down the early contenders, how shifting geopolitics could shake up the selection proc…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.org"Nobody wins in trade wars," said António Guterres as he left a UN Security Council meeting this week. But it's clear there's at least one big loser: American diplomacy. This week, Anjali and Mark break down how the Trump tariffs are rippling through the UN — and how they're complicating diplomacy on issues that have nothing to do with trade. We also speculate on who Trump might tap as his next envoy now that Elise Stefanik is out. Plus, we dig into the UN's role in Gaza as both diplomacy and humanitarian aid grind to a halt, and what's next for the World Food Program after a stunning announcement — and sudden retraction — from a senior DOGE official.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration are two entities now squarely in the crosshairs of their once-strongest backer. Both agencies rely heavily on American funding—but with that funding now cut, they're laying off staff by the thousands. Anjali and Mark discuss the impact of these cuts on the agencies themselves, as wel…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe Trump administration has turned the United Nations into a battleground in its war on gender equality. At the Commission on the Status of Women this week, the U.S. sought to block references to gender equality…in a conference dedicated to that very cause! Meanwhile, at the Security Council, the U.S. refused to join a statement condemning the Taliban'…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgOn Monday February 24, the General Assembly convened for a long-scheduled vote marking the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a stunning shift, the United States abandoned its European allies and abruptly sided with Russia in an attempt to block any condemnation of Russia's aggression and any affirmation of Ukrainian sovereignty.This …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe Trump administration's fight against DEI has come for the United Nations. In this episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and Mark Leon Goldberg discuss what we are seeing unfold at the UN in terms of Trump's push against inclusion and gender equity. These moves are already disrupting the regular order of business at the UN, and we explore wha…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe major city of Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, is now under the control of a Rwanda-backed rebel group. UN peacekeepers in the area were unable to repel the assault but continue to play a key role in protecting civilians from violence. Meanwhile, the Security Council has held emergency meetings to address this growing crisis, w…

In this special live recording of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I break down the highlights (and lowlights) from the confirmation hearing for Donald Trump's pick as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.Elise Stefanik, a member of Congress from New York and a staunch Donald Trump loyalist, did not project the hardcore MAGA vibes one might expect during her confirmation hearing. As Anjali and I discuss, she came across as a fairly conventional Republican—hitting many familiar GOP talking points about the United Nations but avoiding any indication that she believes the U.S. should withdraw from the UN or pursue anything particularly radical.Our conversation was recorded live using Substack's new livestream platform and is available wherever you listen to To Save Us From Hell, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and right here in the Substack app. The video of our recording is below! 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.orgA new year. A new United Nations. In this 2025 debut episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I discuss what to expect in the year ahead at the United Nations. We cover a lot of ground—from the new composition of the UN Security Council to China's new status as a major funder of the UN system, the chaos Trump is likely to bring, and much, much more. Get 40% off your subscription by following this link! https://www.globaldispatches.org/40Off

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgIt's a new day in Damascus. But what about New York? For the last 14 years, the United Nations' role in Syria has been relegated to the circumscribed (but vital) task of supporting the humanitarian needs of Syrians. Now, there is an opportunity for the UN and the broader international community to support Syria's political transition, post-conflict reco…

We cover a lot of ground in this week's free episode. Just hours before we recorded our conversation, the ICC issued formal arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Anjali Dayal and Mark Leon Goldberg explain what this means for the UN. We then travel to Baku for an update on COP29 before heading back to UN headquarters to discuss the latest US veto of a Gaza ceasefire resolution. Finally, we check in on the new UN Humanitarian Chief, Tom Fletcher, who started his role this week. 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

In this special post-election edition of To Save Us From Hell, Mark Leon Goldberg and Anjali Dayal explain what to expect — and what not to expect — from Donald Trump's approach to the United Nations during the next four years. Will he burn Turtle Bay to the ground? Mostly ignore the UN? Cozy up to Russia at the Security Council? And will the next UN Ambassador be Anjali's old Middle School classmate? We discuss all this and more! 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

UNRWA is a unique humanitarian agency. It is both a humanitarian relief provider for millions of Palestinians across several countries, and in many places, it functions as a de facto municipal government, providing services like schools, healthcare, and trash collection. Together, UNRWA provides a social safety net for 2.5 million people in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.And now, all of that might end.Earlier this week, the Knesset passed a bill that would effectively force UNRWA to cease operations in the Occupied Territories and Gaza. The bill establishes bureaucratic barriers that prevent the Israeli government from cooperating with UNRWA, effectively dismantling it by making it impossible for UNRWA to operate in the West Bank and East Jerusalem without Israeli consent. In Gaza, it technically could continue its operations, but practically, UNRWA would not be able to function. It would lack the ability to coordinate with the Israeli government to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian goods or interact with Israeli inspectors who vet all goods entering the Gaza Strip. UNRWA is the single most important humanitarian agency still operating in Gaza, and when this bill comes into force, it will simply be unable to function in that capacity.On this special episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I take a deep dive into the implications of Israel's decision to evict UNRWA. We discuss UNRWA's unique history as a UN agency, its singular role in Palestinian life, and explain why a wildly diverse set of countries — from Cuba to the United States — has condemned Israel's actions against UNRWA.This episode is available exclusively to our paid supporters. Subscribe to unlock all our content, including every episode of our new UN podcast.Substack makes it very easy to access these paid episodes on either Spotify, Apple Podcasts or directly in the Substack App. Once you get a paid subscription you'll receive instructions. If you have any questions, just reach out 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.orgUNRWA is a unique humanitarian agency. It is both a humanitarian relief provider for millions of Palestinians across several countries, and in many places, it functions as a de facto municipal government, providing services like schools, healthcare, and trash collection. Together, UNRWA provides a social safety net for 2.5 million people in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.And now, all of that might end.Unlock the episode: https://www.globaldispatches.org/

The Israeli Defense Forces have continued their deliberate attacks on UN peacekeeping positions in southern Lebanon, including an incident in which UNIFIL Blue Helmets were injured by white phosphorus, an incendiary chemical agent used by the Israeli army. Why does this keep happening, and what can make it stop? Meanwhile, António Guterres finds himself in hot water with the Ukrainians for his attendance at the BRICS Summit in Russia, and a major UN conference on biodiversity is underway in Colombia. Get Full Access and support the Show: 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.orgOver the last week, Israel has directly targeted the positions of UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon. Several peacekeepers have been injured, but none killed—yet. The real tragedy of these ongoing attacks against UNIFIL is that they are undermining the one entity that can provide an off-ramp to further escalation in Lebanon and throughout the region. The path to de-escalation runs through UNIFIL. But for the moment, UNIFIL is, very literally, in the path of Israeli tanks.Unlock the full version by getting a subscription at https://www.globaldispatches.org/

The UN Human Rights Council consists of 47 member states that serve three-year terms. They are elected to their seats by a vote in the General Assembly. Unlike most General Assembly votes, this one is done by secret ballot. On October 9, the UN General Assembly considered 19 candidates for 18 open seats on the Human Rights Council. The loser? Saudi Arabia. (Phew.)In this week's episode of To Save Us From Hell, we take a deep dive into the UN Human Rights Council — how it works, some of its big accomplishments, some of its deficiencies, and why countries with questionable human rights records are sometimes elected to it. (Though not Saudi Arabia, this time around.) Co-host Anjali Dayal and I then make our 2024 Nobel Peace Prize predictions!Support the show and get full access: 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.orgIn the 79 years of the United Nations, no country has ever declared a UN Secretary General Persona Non-Grata—until now. On Wednesday, Israel made history when it PNG'd Antonio Guterres, saying he was no longer welcome to set foot on Israeli soil. The reason? In a statement condemning Iran's attack on Israel, he apparently didn't condemn it enough. Meanwhile, can the UN stop the escalating war between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran? And finally, we are down to two candidates to be the next Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs. We discuss all this and more! https://www.globaldispatches.org/

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

The Summit of the Future is a two day confab on September 22 and 23 that kicks off the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and High Level Week. It is being billed as “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to revitalize the UN and multilateralism in a time of great global turmoil and restore trust in international cooperation as a means of solving common global challenges. That may sound impractically idealistic, but the Summit itself is the culmination of years of discussions, negotiations and diplomacy around concrete policies and proposals intended to bring about certain reforms to the UN that would make it more responsive to future global challenges. Our “To Save Us From Hell” podcast episode today is devoted entirely to the Summit of the Future and some of the specific UN reforms on the table. Co-host Anjali Dayal and Mark Leon Goldberg have a long conversation with the Stimson Center's Richard Ponzio about the significance of the Summit of the Future and what to expect from the Summit's three big outcome documents. 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

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

It's been a tumultuous week in American politics: an assassination attempt on Trump, JD Vance nominated as the Republican vice presidential candidate, and the ongoing Republican National Conventions. In this episode of To Save Us From Hell, we take a look at what a second Trump presidency would mean for the United Nations. We discuss Trump's views and approach to the UN from his first term in office, how COVID-19 completely changed his attitudes towards the UN, and what we can expect from a second Trump presidency. This includes a deep dive into what Project 2025 says about the United Nations, including the potential for the US to withdraw from the UN altogether.In our second segment, we speak with Malta's Ambassador to the United Nations, Vanessa Frazier. Malta serves on the Security Council, and Ambassador Frazier was chiefly responsible for the only meaningful Security Council resolution on Gaza, which she crafted in November and which led to the release of over 100 hostages and the only sustained cessation of hostilities to date. We share with you an excerpt of that interview. Our full conversation with Ambassador Frazier is available exclusively to paying supporters. Get a discounted subscription and support the 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgIf Biden declines to run for re-election, the most likely replacement is Vice President Kamala Harris. In this week's episode of To Save Us From Hell we take a deep dive into Kamala Harris' views of the United Nations. We discuss how she's engaged with the UN since becoming Vice President and why there are some subtle but important distinctions between her approach to the UN and that of President Biden.We kick off at the Security Council, where an emergency meeting on Ukraine led to a revealing clash between the Russian and Ukrainian ambassadors. The meeting followed Russian airstrikes on a children's hospital in Kyiv, which Russia denied. Things got particularly heated when the Russian Ambassador, acting in his capacity as President of the Security Council, raised procedural objections against letting Ukraine into the meeting(!).We also discuss an event around the UN that should attract more media attention than it actually does. The High-Level Political Forum is the third-largest annual gathering at the United Nations and serves as an annual check-up on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The centerpiece of this meeting includes over 40 “Voluntary National Reviews” in which countries report and discuss their own progress towards the SDGs. We discuss what's happening at this year's High-Level Political Forum and the merits of peer pressure as an accountability mechanism for the SDGs.Get a discounted subscription to the show at this link: https://www.globaldispatches.org/SaveUs

A new month means a new president of the UN Security Council. On July 1, Russia took the helm of the most powerful body in the United Nations system and announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would chair two Security Council meetings during Russia's presidency. The problem is, Lavrov is under a travel ban and asset freeze by the United States for his actions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In our first segment, we discuss what happens when leaders under American sanctions come to the United Nations in New York? We also discuss Russia's plans for its month-long presidency and why the credibility of the Security Council is not really impacted by Russia taking its turn at the helm. Our second segment examines the diminished role that the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) plays in the UN system today. R2P was enshrined in the UN charter nearly 20 years ago as a way to confront genocide and mass atrocities, but its relevance has decreased ever since it was invoked to justify a Security Council-backed intervention in Libya. We discuss why that is and what's next for R2P.Our final segment examines newly passed legislation from a key committee in the United States House of Representatives that would nearly completely defund the United Nations. Republicans were not always so hostile to the UN, so what has changed? And what can we expect from Republicans in the future? Get a discounted subscription: 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

The United Nations Interim Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has more peacekeepers deployed per square kilometer than any other UN peacekeeping mission in the world. These peacekeepers have helped avert an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah in the past, but tensions are very high right now. Our second segment focuses on a summit this week between Taliban officials and representatives of about 30 governments and international institutions, convened in Doha under UN auspices. This meeting is controversial and has earned reprobation in some circles for the fact that no Afghan women will be represented.Finally, we share an excerpt of our interview with Courtney Fung, an academic who studies Chinese diplomacy and its approach to the United Nations. This is a 15-minute excerpt of our full 40-minute interview that is available to our paying supporters. The interview covers China's evolving relationship to the UN, including how the policies and strategies it pursues are changing as it becomes a more robust global power.Get a discount on a full subscription via from this link:https://www.globaldispatches.org/SaveUsLet us know what you think of this episode in our chat: https://substack.com/chat/1229705 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.orgFor most of the history of the United Nations, China was not a major power. The China of today was only given its seat at the UN in 1971. (Prior to that, the seat was occupied by Taiwan.) For the subsequent two decades, China was mostly focused inward. It was not until relatively recently that China has taken a keen interest in using the United Nations to advance its foreign policy agenda. So what is that agenda as it relates to the UN? What values, norms and interests drive Chinese policies towards the UN? What does China want from the UN? And how does it pursue those goals? What is the future of China's approach to multilateral diplomacy in general, and the UN in particular?Joining us to answer these questions and more is Courtney Fung, Associate Professor in the Department of Security Studies & Criminology at Macquarie University and a Fulbright scholar at Georgetown University for Spring 2024. We kick off discussing the history of China's approach to the United Nations before having a long conversation about China's intentions at the United Nations.If you are not a paid subscriber, you can access a subscription here: https://www.globaldispatches.org/

As we sat down to record the episode, Vladimir Putin was being feted in Pyongyang by Kim Jong Un. The two had just signed a security pact revived from the Cold War era, signaling an ever-closer alliance and marking the death knell of nearly 20 years of North Korea nuclear diplomacy at the Security Council. Meanwhile, over the last ten days we've seen the first meaningful progress at the Security Council on the two worst crises in the world: Gaza and Sudan. We discuss what lead to a near-unanimous Security Council resolutions on a Gaza ceasefire proposal and a Sudan resolution aimed at stopping an attack on a major city in Darfur. We discuss whether or not these resolutions can push the warring parties to a cessation of hostilities and what to make of a rather awkward (and heated!) encounter between the Sudanese and Emirati ambassadors to the UN.We wrap up with conversation about Martin Griffiths, the top UN humanitarian official who is leaving his post at the end of the month. We discuss why the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs is arguably the second most important position at the UN behind the Secretary-General, who might replace him—and why this position has always gone to a British diplomat in recent years. The last non-Brit to hold this post, Jan Egeland, joins us to offer his advice for the incoming top UN humanitarian official.Also discussed:* Why a new UN report on children and armed conflict has exacerbated already deteriorating relations between Antonio Guterres and the Israeli ambassador the UN.* Why Malta's UN ambassador Vanessa Frazier's stock is rising around the UN.* Is Jan Egeland the ultimate United Nations Superhero Man?Support this new show with your paid subscription. 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

"To Save Us From Hell" is a new weekly chat show about the United Nations. Each week, two veteran UN watchers break down the latest news from the United Nations, giving our audience insights into what is driving the agenda at UN headquarters and in its operations around the world. Co-host Mark Leon Goldberg is a veteran journalist who is editor in Chief of UN Dispatch and founder of Global Dispatches. He's covered the UN for nearly 20 years. Anjali Dayal is a well-known professor at Fordham University whose written books about the UN and teaches students about its intricacies. They are teaming up for this one-of-a-kind podcast that will launch in the middle of June. Learn more: https://www.globaldispatches.org/ Get full access to Global Dispatches at www.globaldispatches.org/subscribe 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