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Global Dispatches

The longest running independent international affairs podcast features in-depth interviews with policymakers, journalists and experts around the world who discuss global news, international relations, global development and key trends driving world affairs.

Named by The Guardian as "a podcast to make you smarter," Global Dispatches is a podcast for people who crave a deeper understanding of international news.

Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

UNGA is over. But its legacy lives on. We recorded this episode as news broke of a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and so we look back at UNGA80 to trace the ways in which the world’s largest diplomatic gathering may have provided some key momentum for a breakthrough on Gaza. Mark and Anjali also go deep on a new Gang Suppression Force that the Security Council just authorized for Haiti. But can this international intervention in Haiti succeed when so many before it have failed? Finally, Mark and Anjali make their Nobel Peace Prize picks. Spoiler alert — it ain’t Donald Trump.
 
Unlock full access to this episode with a 40% discount. 
 
https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff

Did The Gaza Ceasefire Emanate From UNGA? Plus: A New "Gang Suppression Force" for Haiti and our Nobel Predictions | To Save Us From Hell

On September 16th, Morocco became the 60th country to ratify the High Seas Treaty, triggering a countdown to January, when the treaty will officially enter into force.
 
The High Seas Treaty establishes a kind of “rules of the road” for international waters that lie beyond the jurisdiction of any single country—particularly around conservation and the preservation of ocean biodiversity. At the core of the High Seas Treaty is the creation of Marine Protected Areas—think of them as national parks for the high seas. And even though the treaty has not yet entered into force, it is already influencing ocean conservation efforts, according to my guest today, Nichola Clark, a senior officer for ocean governance at the Pew Charitable Trusts.
 
We begin by discussing why the international community felt the need for a High Seas Treaty in the first place, and then trace the story of how this agreement came to life. We wrap up with a conversation about what the treaty has already accomplished—and what it may achieve in the near future.
 
This episode is produced in partnership with Lex International Fund, a philanthropic initiative dedicated to strengthening international law to solve global challenges. It’s part of our ongoing series highlighting the real-world impact of treaties on state behavior, called “When Treaties Work.”

When Treaties Work: The High Seas Treaty

A genocidal militia called the Rapid Support Forces has been laying siege to the city of El Fasher, in Darfur, for nearly 500 days. But in recent weeks, the situation has grown far worse. Some 250,000 people are now trapped in the city and are enduring relentless bombardment from drones and artillery. Food is scarce, and an untold number of people are starving to death. To make matters worse, recent moves by the Rapid Support Forces suggest they may be preparing for an all-out assault on the city.
 
This is a pivotal moment in Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023 when two generals—once allies in toppling a civilian-led government—turned their guns on each other, unleashing what is now the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
 
After two and a half years of fighting, the Sudanese Armed Forces control most of the country’s east, including Khartoum and a key port city. The Rapid Support Forces, meanwhile, hold much of the west, including resource-rich Darfur—with one critical exception: Darfur’s historic capital, El Fasher.
 
Joining me to discuss this precarious moment in Sudan’s war and what might finally bring an end to the conflict is Noaman Elwaleed Mousa, a PhD student in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, who studies civil wars in Africa. We begin with the situation on the ground in El Fasher and the broader significance of this battle for Sudan’s future.

Sudan's Civil War Takes an Even Deadlier Turn

In 1995, there was a landmark meeting on gender equality in Beijing: the Fourth World Conference on Women. The conference produced the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a highly influential blueprint for advancing women’s rights. It was at this conference that then–First Lady Hillary Clinton famously declared, “Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.”
 
Last week, at the United Nations General Assembly, there was a 30-year commemoration of this landmark conference, which has become a touchstone for advocates around the world — particularly from civil society. Today, I’m joined by two of those advocates: Bani Dugal and Liliane Nkunzimana, representatives of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. They explain why the conference 30 years ago was so significant, how it continues to influence debates on gender equality today, and how to keep advancing gender equality in a profoundly different geopolitical context three decades on.
 
This episode is produced in partnership with the Baha’i International Community, an NGO that represents the worldwide Baha’i community at the UN and other international forums, where it emphasizes that recognizing humanity’s interconnectedness is key to a shared global future. The Baha’i International Community recently released the book "In Full Partnership: Thirty Years of Women’s Advancement at the United Nations and Beyond, " which honors 30 years since the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and the creation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. You can find the book at BIC.org.

"Women’s Rights Are Human Rights" — 30 Years On

Over the last two weeks, the United States has at least twice bombed boats in the Caribbean that the White House claims were smuggling drugs to the United States, killing an unknown number of people on board. This is extraordinary. Under normal circumstances, the United States Navy or Coast Guard would interdict alleged drug smugglers and turn them over to law enforcement for prosecution. But the Trump administration is apparently unleashing the full weight of the U.S. military against people it deems to be smuggling drugs. What’s more concerning, according to legal experts across the spectrum, is that these targeted killings do not seem to be operating under any apparent legal framework.
 
The administration is using the language of the War on Terror to justify these killings, but there has been no authorization for the use of military force against drug smugglers. Nor has the administration put forward a legal rationale for these strikes. And all this comes amidst an unprecedented American naval buildup in the Caribbean — a show of force against the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
 
“It’s truly extraordinary for the U.S. government to be conducting premeditated killing of individuals merely for suspected drug smuggling,” says my interview guest Brian Finucane, senior advisor at the International Crisis Group. We begin by discussing what is known about these two strikes, before turning to a longer conversation about the implications of using the language and tools of counterterrorism to kill alleged drug smugglers absent any clear legal constraint.
 
https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff

Is America Suddenly at War With Venezuela?

It was Donald Trump’s fifth speech before the United Nations General Assembly.
 
It was also his most rambling.
 
For 55 minutes, the President of the United States riffed: on migration, windmills, hot air, London’s mayor, offshore oil in Aberdeen, even the flooring and décor of UN headquarters. At one point, Trump told the assembled world leaders: “Your countries are going to hell!”
 
But was there a method to this madness? What can we discern about U.S. foreign policy and Trump’s approach to the United Nations from this speech? Joining me for a timely conversation on these questions and more are Anjali Dayal and Maya Ungar—two seasoned UN watchers. Anjali Dayal, of course, is my To Save Us From Hell co-host and a professor of international relations at Fordham University. Maya Ungar is a UN analyst at the International Crisis Group.
 
We spoke just moments after Trump’s speech concluded, beginning with our knee-jerk reactions to a very odd address before turning to a longer conversation about what Trump’s UNGA remarks reveal about American foreign policy and its approach to the UN.
 
https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff

“Your countries are going to hell” -- Trump Unleashes at the UN

Immunization has transformed the health trajectory of millions in Africa — but the job is far from done. This discussion moves beyond vaccines as a medical intervention, framing them instead as a trust-building exercise between communities and health systems. You’ll come away with a clear sense of what it will take to protect Africa’s health gains and prepare for future threats.
 
Helen Clark offers high-level insights on vaccine diplomacy, while Dr. Jamal Ahmed unpacks the operational and political hurdles to reaching every child. Dr. Esias Bedingar adds a front-line perspective on combating misinformation and delivering care in fragile settings. Vaccines have saved millions of lives across the continent — but more work remains. This episode explores both the progress made and the gaps that still need to be closed.
 Guests • 

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, former Director of UN Development Program and member of the Elders
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Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO Director for Polio Eradication
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Dr. Esias Bedingar, Program Manager at Big Win Philanthropy and former Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Chad.
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 Background Materials 
Vaccination Progress in Africa – Millions of Lives Saved, WHO Africa

Immunizations Are One of Africa's Greatest Public Health Success Stories | Future of Africa, Episode 7

Africa’s future will be written by its girls and women — if they have the resources and rights to lead. Graça Machel calls for a generational shift in how girls’ education and leadership are supported, while Françoise Moudouthe challenges donors and policymakers to back feminist movements with flexible, sustained funding. Satta Sheriff brings the voice of a new generation, connecting women’s leadership to broader fights for climate justice, peace, and economic inclusion. This episode is full of hard truths about the barriers girls and women face, paired with inspiring examples of what happens when those barriers come down.
 Guests • 

Graça Machel, women’s and children's rights advocate; former freedom fighter and first Education Minister of Mozambique; co-founder of The Elders.
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Françoise Moudouthe, CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund
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Satta Sheriff, Human Rights Activist & African Union Panel of the Future Member
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 Background Materials • 

Women’s Rights in Review 30 years after Beijing, UN Women
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Futures Africa: Trends for Women by 2030, The African Women’s Development Fund
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African Young Women B+25 Manifesto, African Union
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Women and Girls Will Write the Future of Africa | Future of Africa, Episode 6

Hundreds of presidents and prime ministers are coming to the UN for the annual opening of the General Assembly. UNGA officially kicked off on September 9, but the big events—including the parade of speeches from world leaders—begin on September 22.
 
In this special episode of To Save Us From Hell, Mark and Anjali preview the key storylines, speeches, events, and encounters that will shape the agenda at this, the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. This is always one of our most popular episodes because we bring you a true insider’s account of what to watch for at UNGA80. And this year, we’re offering a special 40% discount off our regular subscription price so that as many of you as possible can access one of our most anticipated episodes of the year.
 
https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff

These Are the Stories that Will Drive the Agenda at UNGA This Year | To Save Us From Hell

A few weeks ago, my To Save Us From Hell co-host Anjali Dayal and I joined Tammam Aloudat, CEO of The New Humanitarian, for an episode of their podcast ReThinking Humanitarianism. The questions Tammam posed—and the topics we explored—were big-picture ones: how can the UN, a fundamentally liberal institution shaped by liberal values, function and survive in an era when those very values are under sustained challenge?
 
It was a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation that I’m delighted to share directly with Global Dispatches subscribers. If you want even more UN-focused content, consider becoming a paying subscriber at GlobalDispatches.org. A subscription gives you full access to To Save Us From Hell, my premium podcast about the UN, as well as UN Dispatch, where I publish regular UN-focused analysis.
 
We’re running a UNGA discount this month: 40% off. Subscribe now to unlock my personal UNGA preview along with all UNGA-related coverage. You can sign up at GlobalDispatches.org or use this direct link: https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff

The UN and the Crisis of Liberalism | Rethinking Humanitarianism

As a journalist who covers international humanitarian crises, I'm accustomed to seeing masses of refugees fleeing their homes for safer locations. But in Syria over the last several days, the reverse has happened. Thousands upon thousands of displaced people are now returning home -- the scenes of traffic jams, literally on the road to Damascus, were indicative of the fact that Syrians believe this new era to be one in which they are safe to return home.
 
A brutal regime has been toppled, but are the new de-facto authorities going to respect the rights of Syrians and be able to undertake the basic functions of government to avoid state collapse and the chaos that would bring? I put these questions and many more to my guest today, Emma Beals, a longtime Syria analyst and reporter who is a Senior Advisor at the European Institute of Peace and a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute. We kick off discussing the mood on the street in Damascus before having a long discussion about Syria's political future.
 
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What Syria's Political Future May Look Like | Emma Beals

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