“Some days, I sometimes wish I hadn't been here before the 15th of August, because then I wouldn't have seen the hope and the promise and the potential.”

What is it like living and working in Afghanistan as a woman leader of a UN Agency? Mary-Ellen McGroarty witnessed the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August 2021. As Head of the World Food Programme (WFP) in the country, she has seen first hand the seismic shift in the economic, political and cultural landscape. Now, over 50% of Afghans are threatened with hunger. People are unable to go out to work either because of the economic crisis or, in the case of millions of women, because of new restrictions on their freedom. In this episode, Mary-Ellen McGroarty reflects on the impact of the takeover, the scale of the ensuing humanitarian crisis, and what it’s like sitting face to face with the Taliban.

Photo: © WFP/Wahidullah AMANI

As if there weren’t enough problems to worry about down here on earth, there is a growing number of threats to global peace in outer space too, which is why UN-led talks are underway all this week in Geneva to find common ground on cosmic security.

Chairing the first open-ended working group on reducing space threats, veteran Chilean diplomat Hellmut Lagos explained to UN News’s Daniel Johnson why space matters to us all, and what Member States are most concerned about.

Audio Credit: Daniel Johnson, UN News - Geneva

Photo Credit: UNODA/Michael Spies

If you like political cartoons, chances are that you’ve come across the work of Patrick Chappatte, in leading international newspapers and journals.

In addition to his prolific output, Mr. Chappate is also president of the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation; to coincide with World Press Freedom Day 2022 on 3 May, it’s unveiled a new exhibition in Geneva, featuring drawings by other top illustrators who take great risks to stand up to authority.

He explains to UN News’s Daniel Johnson how the challenges to a free press seem to be proliferating – and why it’s so important to push back against those who would stifle free speech.

Audio Credit: Daniel Johnson, UN News - Geneva

Photo Credit: © Freedom Cartoonists/Antoine Tardy

Demonstrating the wide-ranging consequences of the climate crisis, the UN Human Rights Council has appointed the first-ever Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the context of Climate Change. Ian Fry, who is of Australian and Tuvalu heritage, teaches environmental policy at the Australian National University in Canberra. As UN Special Rapporteur, he will be tasked with studying how climate change affects the full enjoyment of human rights, and recommend ways to prevent these effects.

In an interview with the UN’s Julia Dean, Mr. Fry explained why the Human Rights Council created his new role.

Audio Credit: UN/ Julia Dean

Audio Duration: 7'

Photo Credit: Kiara Worth

Resilience among ordinary Ukrainians is remarkable but if the war goes on much longer, it threatens 20 years of development gains, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has warned. From Lviv in western Ukraine, here’s Manal Fouani, UNDP lead in the country, describing to UN News’s Daniel Johnson the many and varied challenges that the country faces, seven weeks since the Russian invasion began.

ITU Podcasts with Luke Cavanaugh and Prince Zain El-Hashemite.
In the light of the worldwide changes initiated by the pandemic, this second episode discusses the potential future developments of our educational systems, through the eyes of the youth, with Luke Cavanaugh of the Generation Connect Visionaries Board, and Prince Zain, founder of the Y4X Movement, sharing their personal academic experiences that help shape their vision of a future of education with youth and for youth.
Hosted by Arissandra Egorova

A new low in the war in Ukraine has made headlines around the world this week, with the discovery that hundreds of civilians have been killed in the city of Bucha, in areas previously controlled by Russian troops. Early testimonies from survivors indicate that the victims were “directly targeted” and killed, according to the UN rights office, OHCHR. Responding to claims from Russia that the incident is nothing more than fake news, here’s spokesperson Liz Throssell, talking to UN News’s Daniel Johnson.

“Go vote” is the resounding message that 20-year-old climate activist Sophia Kianni wants everyone to hear, because the only way to effect real change to slow global warming, is through better public policy, she says. 

One of seven activists who make up the Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, the young American bemoaned the failure of the US Congress to pass ‘Build Back Better’ legislation, to tackle the climate emergency. 

If people want to be engaged, they need to be involved in their political processes, she told Liz Scaffidi, but she began by explaining how she took up the mantle of climate activist. 

Audio Duration: 3'42"

Photo Credit: UN News/Elizabeth Scaffidi

Imataca is a vast tropical forest in southeast Venezuela spanning 38,000 square kilometers. Rich in biodiversity, the forest is home to thousands of plant and animal species. Decades of illegal logging and mining have led to deforestation and loss of wildlife. The Karina indigenous people living in the forest are working hard to change this. Through a women-led initiative, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), they’re ensuring the forests of Imataca are now protected for generations to come.

Producers: Marina Sánchez Castelo, Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin.
Presenter: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo credit: ©Jesús Contreras/FAO.

Social media influencers are glamourizing the use of cannabis, heroin and other controlled substances, and governments and companies need to do more to stop these kinds of messages being spread on popular platforms, the head of a UN-backed drug control body warned on Thursday. Jagjit Pavadia, the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), spoke to Conor Lennon from UN News on the launch of the organization’s annual report, which also shows that many potentially harmful drugs are easily available online. Ms. Pavadia began by outlining the scale of the problem, and the danger it poses, particularly to young people and children.

When was the last time you used cash? In his latest book, Eswar Prasad looks at a world, not that far off, where using cash will no longer be an option. Prasad is a professor of economics at Cornell University, and his book, The Future of Money, describes how digital currencies and other financial technologies are reshaping everything from consumer banking to monetary policy and international payments.

In this IMF podcast, he discusses the book with Finance and Development Magazine editor Chris Wellisz. 

Transcript

Amid growing international condemnation over Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, tens of thousands of people are still trying to escape to neighbouring countries, fleeing en masse. This has brought huge numbers to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, where UNICEF’s spokesperson James Elder has been giving an update on the emotional and tense scenes he’s witnessed, to UN News’s Daniel Johnson.

The Africa Renewal Podcast is about people, who, through their stories and actions, are advancing hope in Africa. On it you will hear true stories directly from people from within and beyond Africa about the possibilities on the continent.

In the inaugural episode, Joy Kategekwa, a trade law expert who is one of the architects of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), talks about the historic agreement that set the stage for the creation of one single African market for goods and services.

Dr. Joy Kategekwa (Uganda) is the regional strategic advisor to the Assistant Administrator and Director for the Regional Bureau Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

Despite rising global wealth, most people today feel anxious about the future, according to a new report from the UNDP. Dianne Penn from UN News spoke to Heriberto Tapia, the Research and Strategic Partnership Advisor in the Human Development Report Office at UNDP.  

In this episode of UNEP's Resilience: The Global Adaptation Podcast, Lis and Marcus find out about some really creative and practical solutions to the climate threats faced by coastal communities and people living on low-lying small islands. Eritai Kateibwi, from the Te Maeu Project, talks about introducing hydroponics to Kiribati so his community can grow food without monthly ‘king’ tides washing away their crops. And world-renowned Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, who specialises in climate-resilient architecture, talks about floating cities and building flood barriers that double as parks, skateboard ramps, and bike storage - drawing on a concept known as ‘hedonistic sustainability.’