“Despite all our efforts [to showcase the UN's impact], people just don't realize that actually their whole life is assisted by the UN... making international phone calls to flying planes internationally, sending mail abroad and having vaccines that are certified by the WHO as being healthy and useful.”

Outgoing Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation Corinne Momal-Vanian previously spent three decades serving with the United Nations. For her, the UN’s founding values have always been a north star, not just for her career, but also for her family and her whole life.

“It's really putting the human dignity at the center. That every human being deserves to live a fulfilling life and life in dignity, that's also at the heart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and those are truly universal aspirations.”

From working against apartheid to stabilising post-genocide Cambodia, Corrine Momal-Vanian has deployed for the UN at compelling moments across the world. In this episode, she looks back on serving two Secretary-Generals during some of the darkest and dangerous moments in the organization’s history, and shares why the UN was always so much more than a job.

Corinne Momal-Vanian :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“Food takes time, but we will feel [price rises] and then people will start to react. But we need to do as much as we can to assure that we inform the world what amount of food we have to avoid export restrictions, to avoid less food, and to avoid uncertainties. Because uncertainties by itself can increase prices. So that's a little bit of the job that we have.”

Máximo Torero Cullen is one of the world’s leading voices on global hunger and food security. Currently serving as Chief Economist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), he uses his economic expertise to work towards the goal of a world where nobody goes to bed hungry.

“I have been through many problems in life, which I have learned a lot as an economist. I was in the hyperinflation in Peru. I was in wars in Peru and terrorism... I have been in massive earthquake situations. So I have seen a lot, but I never expected how complex this sector would become.”

FAO partners with governments around the world to invest in areas with untapped agricultural potential, transforming lives in rural farming communities. It also works to secure the global food supply during crises such as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, or the crisis in Strait of Hormuz. In this episode, Máximo Torero Cullen reflects on the process of dampening food price shocks, on investing in sustainable nutrition, and shares why he always trusts the knowledge of farmers.

Máximo Torero Cullen :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“That mental image of surviving the war has stayed with me all of my life and has shaped who I've become... when I've the opportunity to talk to young people, I tell them my story, and I say if ...[after going through that I am] standing before you as head of the United Nations team in your country, imagine what you could become.”

As a child Ozonnia Ojielo survived a brutal civil war in his native Nigeria in which starvation was used as a weapon. After training as a lawyer, an encounter with fellow survivors gave him new purpose and propelled him to his current role as the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia.

“She started crying. All the other guests started crying. I started crying as well. There I was, a very successful lawyer making a lot of money. But I said to myself, this is much more valuable. Trying to change people's lives, or at least be there as a voice for them.”

From Rwanda to Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, Ozonnia Ojielo has supported communities around the world as they navigate difficult journeys from violence to peace. In this episode, he reflects on the long shadow of genocide, on the delicate work of reintegrating both perpetrators and victims, and shares why the biggest currency the world can offer young people is hope.

Ozonnia Ojielo :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

Oil price surges have put international shipping in the spotlight in recent months. But what about the people behind the headlines? What happens to them when the news cycle moves on?

With up to 90 percent of all goods globally transported by sea, the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) works to help commercial shipping and international trade ride the waves of war, piracy and geopolitics.

Growing up near the Panama Canal, Arsenio Dominguez was always fascinated by mighty cargo ships sailing through on their way to distant shores. Now Secretary-General of the IMO, his role is to defend seafarers and give shipping the recognition it deserves.

“Whenever you affect shipping, everybody else gets affected, even if you're not part of the conflict. This is not good for anyone. This is not good for the global population, for the global economy, for politics. We need to protect shipping more.”

In this episode, Arsenio Dominguez reflects on years of back-to-back challenges for international shipping, on efforts to decarbonize, and shares why the power of positive thinking and the encouragement of his mother have always been his guiding lights.

Arsenio Dominguez :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“I would not trust AI. You are not supposed to trust AI. You are supposed to use it, always doubt it, always verify what it tells you, cross validate, so that you can be able to use it responsibly.”

Growing up in rural South Africa, Tshilidzi Marwala first learned about engineering from his grandmother’s handmade clay pots. Now rector of the United Nations University, the Under-Secretary-General is a vocal advocate of using artificial intelligence (AI) for good.

Education has been a driving force throughout Tshilidzi Marwala’s life, alongside the seismic transitions he has witnessed in his native country and around the world.

“We [returned to South Africa just after the end of apartheid] and then we realized that freedom is beautiful… Democracy is a beautiful concept, but it's a very difficult journey. It's not an overnight thing.”

With a doctorate in neural networks among his many academic achievements, the UNU rector is familiar with the architecture behind the current rapid developments in AI. In this episode, he reflects on the intersection of political freedom, education and technology, and shares why digital literacy is among the most important skills of our age.

Tshilidzi Marwala :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“I don't think of home, actually. I think it changes our whole perspective on what home is ... you really get to see yourself … as a world citizen.”

Born to Italian parents in Venezuela, Allegra Baiocchi has been on the move ever since and has lived in more than 25 countries around the world. Now UN Resident Coordinator in Mexico, she believes in the power of the United Nations to improve the well-being of all people, wherever they are.

“I am truly an optimist. I do think we can turn this around, but it does need a lot of people taking action, and so I stay awake at night trying to figure out how to get people to act.”

Formerly the UN’s chief humanitarian coordinator for western and central Africa, Allegra Baiocchi faced down overlapping deadly crises, from Ebola and war, to drought, famine and displacement. In this episode, she reflects on the highs and lows of her long and varied career, and shares how she brought up children who are as much citizens of the globe as she is.

Allegra Baiocchi :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

"Refugees do bring so much to the community, they bring a whole different culture, a whole different lens on life, and that is powerful and important."

War is Mary Maker’s earliest memory. Born in South Sudan and named Nyiriak — meaning "war" — she spent her youth living and working in one of the world’s largest refugee camps. Now a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, she is raising her voice on behalf of those she left behind, helping refugee students land scholarships to top universities.

“I want to be seen. I want to be heard. I want to be acknowledged. I want to be at the table, making decisions and feeling like a part of something. Are you able to see us? Are you? Are you able to go beyond the news and really understand that this is someone like you?”

After her family fled to safety, Mary built a new life of opportunity through education and hard work – finding her feet, and her voice, on stage. In this episode, she shares how she overcame a childhood marred by death and conflict, and how theater became both her refuge and her path forward.

Mary Maker :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

Fighting for and believing in change is in Jorge Moreira da Silva’s blood. Now Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the former Portuguese minister is helping to improve lives. From restoring roads and repairing power plants to running health centres and constructing renewable energy mini-grids, UNOPS implements projects in more than 130 countries – often in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

“It's about providing social basic human needs. We have found a way to provide livelihoods to 15 million people in Afghanistan...rehabilitating roads, streets, water canals, paying men and women to do the job.”

In this episode, Jorge Moreira da Silva reflects on the practical and political challenges of delivering projects in complex environments – from funding gaps to lack of political will. He also shares how releasing an Iberian lynx and earning his pilot’s license have to do with keeping hope alive through dark times.

Since this interview was recorded, the UN Secretary-General has appointed Jorge Moreira da Silva to lead the UN task force for the Strait of Hormuz. The Initiative aims to facilitate the delivery and movement of much needed fertilisers and related raw materials to Asia and the African continent. The urgent delivery of these fertilisers is crucial to avert more hunger and food insecurity. He has been engaged in extensive consultations with all parties involved to drive this initiative.

Jorge Moreira da Silva :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

"We always focus on ‘We the Peoples’. But the verb the preamble of the UN Charter uses is determined … It's not thinking, we may try, right? It's not aspire

Elpida Rouka’s first name means hope in Greek, a feeling that can sometimes be elusive when serving in the most troubled places on earth. Currently a senior political affairs officer in Geneva, she is a survivor of the 2003 Baghdad Canal Hotel bombing, the deadliest attack in UN history.

“First you feel the shake, and the light, and then the blast, the sound comes. I blacked out between exiting the building, but when I was out, there was just a scene of a massacre. The only thing I recall after that was being thrown a phone and told: ‘Call your parents, now.’”

Humanitarian workers are routinely exposed to primary and secondary trauma. Yet stigma and survivor’s guilt can prevent aid workers seeking timely help for post-traumatic stress. In this episode, Elpida Rouka reflects on grief, loss, and mental and physical scars, and shares why the exact wording of the preamble of the UN Charter has helped give her the strength to heal.

Elpida Rouka :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“You have a positive trajectory. You're looking at the things that you can get done, and someone throws you a curve ball, and you've got to find a way of getting through it, but that's life, so you take it and you work with it as best as you can. ”

Former Ghanian Foreign Minister Hanna Tetteh knows first hand the responsibility that comes from being an elected politician. Now head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, she draws on that experience as she works to get the nation onto a peaceful and democratic footing.

“I have to be optimistic. Otherwise I'll stop. And I think that when you're doing this kind of job, you have to keep yourself optimistic. You always have to find openings and entry points and try to see what you can work with and where you can create some opportunity to have a conversation that results in some concrete outcome.”

Politics was always present in Hanna Tetteh’s house growing up. Inspired by a dual heritage rooted in Hungary and Ghana, she became a passionate advocate of inclusive dialogue. In this episode, she reflects on her journey into politics, on bringing women and youth on board for Libya’s future, and shares why, when it comes to peace-building, patience is the biggest virtue.

Hanna Tetteh :: Interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“It was a life-changing moment, not because of what I did, but because of what kind of an impact it had on another human being ... "

From Bangladesh to Kosovo, Syria to Sudan, Kelly Clements has spent more than 30 years helping to save lives during some of the biggest refugee and humanitarian crises in recent times. Now the outgoing Deputy High Commissioner at the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, she’s making an impassioned case for a more humane world.

"How can we convince those that continue to wage wars, that continue to treat people badly? How can we show what's possible with a little hope, compassion, and more peace? The force of good is much stronger than the force of evil."

Global refugee needs are surging as wealthy nations turn away from helping the most vulnerable people on earth. In this episode, Kelly Clements reflects on her deep frustration at the devastating cuts to life-saving UN services, on the lasting power of helping just one person, and shares how the love of her family always gives her strength to serve.

Kelly Clements :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming