The Next Page

Robert Bruce Adolph joined us for this short episode to talk about his book Surviving the UN: The Unexpected Challenge. Robert worked on assignments in many conflict areas in the world in the 1990s during his second career as a UN Chief Security Officer, following his retirement as US Army Special Forces Lieutenant-Colonel. He was present during the deadly bomb attack on the UN compound in Baghdad...

The interns working at the UN Library & Archives Geneva gathered for a discussion with the Director of the Library & Archives, Francesco Pisano, on their thoughts on multilateralism, multiculturalism and working at the UN. Raphaela, Lucas, Alicia, Mengna and Ashrul come from different countries, are studying at different institutions and have different academic backgrounds. They share with...

Ellie Hutterli is a Senior Swiss UN Youth Delegate for 2022-24 and her priority topics are sustainable cities and communities, digitalization, reduced inequalities with a special focus on gender equality, and youth participation and inclusion. Ellie joins us for this episode to talk more about the Youth Delegate programme, her priority topic on women’s rights and gender equality, as well her thoug...

Thomas Hale is Professor in Public Policy (Global Public Policy) at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. He also co-leads the  Net Zero Tracker  and the  Net Zero Regulation and Policy Hub . His research explores how we can manage transnational problems effectively and fairly. In this conversation, Professor Hale talks with Francesco Pisano, Director of the UN Library &a...

Join us for the next episode in our ambassadors series in which H.E. Mr. CHEN Xu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland talks with the Director of the Library & Archives, Francesco Pisano. Ambassador Chen speaks of the history of China,...

Catherine Bertini is The Rockefeller Foundation Managing Director for Food, former Executive Director of the World Food Programme and World Food Prize Laureate (2003). We were delighted to have her join the Director of the Library & Archives, Francesco Pisano, for this episode to explore the question of food security and the vision of achieving zero hunger in an equitable world. The Rockefelle...

In this rich conversation with Professors Davide Rodogno and Carloyn Biltoft, we delve into a world of meaning making and examine the depth and breadth that history offers for policymaking. Davide Rodogno is professor of International History and Politics and the Head of the Interdisciplinary Master Programme at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. He speciali...

Founder and Executive Director of Diplo Foundation, Dr. Jovan Kurbalija, takes us on a journey from the past to the present and across civilizations to explore the interplay of technology and diplomacy. Diplomacy and technology are at the heart of Diplo’s mission. Dr. Kurbalija emphasizes the importance of writing as a diplomatic tool and begins by telling us the story in the Sumerian poem “Enmerk...

We invited Itonde Kakoma, the new President and CEO of Interpeace,  to talk about the mission of Interpeace – an organization that had its origins in the UN and works to prevent violence and build lasting peace. Interpeace has over 30 years of experience working in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America.   In this conversation with the Director of the UN Library & Archives, Fr...

A conversation with Under-Secretary-General Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of UNECE The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the five Regional Commissions of the United Nations. ECE was set up in 1947 to promote pan-European economic integration. Francesco Pisano met with UNECE’s new Executive Secretary, Ms. Tatiana Molcean for a conversation on the role of the Com...

Will we have a breakthrough or a breakdown? In this second episode with Adam Day, Head of the Geneva Office of the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, we continue the exploration of the Six Transformative Shifts proposed by the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism for a more secure and sustainable future. Adam Day talks with Francesco Pisano, Director of the Lib...

In this and the following episode, we take a deep dive with Adam Day, Head of the Geneva Office of the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, into the Six Transformative Shifts proposed by the High-Level Advisory Board (HLAB) on Effective Multilateralism for a more secure and sustainable future. Here, in part 1, Adam Day talks with Francesco Pisano, Director of the Library & Arc...

We are starting our 2024 series with an episode with H.E. Mrs. Claudia Fuentes Julio, Permanent Representative of Chile. Ambassador Fuentes Julio talks about her interesting career path into diplomacy and representing her country. She tells us about the geography of Chile, bounded between the magnificent Andes and the vast Pacific Ocean, and she relates some of the history of Chile and its long co...

In this end of year episode, Francesco Pisano, Director of the Library & Archives and senior managers Sigrun Habermann and Blandine Blukacz-Louisfert, find themselves on the other side of the table to talk about why knowledge matters in our times, whether libraries matter, what expertise we need and what digitization, technology and AI can mean for knowledge services.  Together, they come up w...

A conversation with Ambassador Matthew Wilson As part of our ambassadors’ series, for this episode we invited the Permanent Representative of Barbados, Ambassador Matthew Wilson, to explore the role of Barbados in the Caribbean region and in the world today, and its enduring partnership with the UN over 40 years. Ambassador Wilson talks with Francesco Pisano, Director of the Library & Archives...

Le Monde d’ici commence ailleurs : coopérations utiles pour des temps compliqués Pour cet épisode, nous sommes ravis d’accueillir Isabelle Durant, ancienne Secrétaire générale adjointe de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur le Commerce et le Développement (CNUCED). Isabelle Durant est une femme politique belge, membre du parti Ecolo qu'elle dirigea à deux reprises, elle fut sénatrice et Vice-Premi...

Futures of multilateralism – an applied research project on the challenge of transforming the global order   In this episode, three young researchers from the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Simfora Bangasimbo, Karim Achy, Sohini Chakrabarti talk about their applied research project on Futures of Multilateralism. The UN Office at Geneva and the Graduate Institute collaborate in several knowledge and...

A conversation with Swiss Youth Representative, Flora Chiper   This episode with Flora Chiper, Swiss UN Youth Representative for 2023-2025, explores the role of Youth Representatives and their current work, vision and hopes for multilateralism. Flora Chiper is multicultural and multilingual and brings a scientific perspective to the team of Swiss youth reps. She is currently a postgraduate student...

A conversation with Ambassador Dušan Matulay This episode is part of our ambassadors’ series hosting Permanent Representatives of UN Member States in Geneva for conversations about the role of their countries in the UN and in the world. We invited the Permanent Representative of Slovakia, H.E. Mr. Dušan Matulay, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Slovakia’s membership in the UN. Ambassador...

In this episode we continue our explorations in view of the Summit of the Future. The Summit of the Future (in 2024) will be a key moment to reaffirm and recommit to effective multilateralism in the interest of both people and the planet.   But how do we set out to redesign multilateralism and craft the future we all want in our era of ultra-rapid technological change? And how do we factor in our...

Our ambassadors’ series hosts Permanent Representatives of UN Member States for conversations about the role of their countries in the UN and in the world. In this episode we invited the Permanent Representative of Germany, Ambassador Dr. Katharina Stasch, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Germany’s membership in the UN. In 1973 there were two German states. The Federal Republic of German...

Corinne Momal-Vanian is the Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation . Previously, she worked in various senior positions and a variety of countries for the United Nations, most recently as Director of Conference Management at the United Nations Office at Geneva (2015-2020) and Director of Information (2010-2015). We invited Corinne Momal-Vanian back to The Next Page for a conversation with...

Marcel Griaule, un ethnographe dans la diplomatie de l’entre-deux-guerres avec Yves Pourcher  Pour cet épisode, nous sommes ravis d’accueillir Yves Pourcher pour parler de Marcel Griaule, un anthropologue, explorateur et écrivain au destin particulier notamment parce qu’il est entré dans la diplomatie lors de la crise d'Abyssinie.  Yves Pourcher, professeur de science politique, a rassemblé plus d...

In this episode, Davide Rodogno introduces his book Night on Earth, an account of international humanitarian programmes in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the Near East in the interwar period from 1918 to 1930. Professor Rodogno explains how concepts of international 'relief' and 'development' were deeply connected long before the existence of the United Nations. Through the conversat...

We invited Dr. Rebecca Adami, Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer at Stockholm University, Award winner of the 2022 Bertha Lutz Prize for highest quality public writing and research on women in diplomacy by the Diplomatic Studies Section (DPLST) of the International Studies Association (ISA), for a conversation around the role non-Western women had in shaping the UN system, from the UN Charter to...