World's Toughest Job

In 1987, the United Nations called a huge meeting in Montreal to negotiate the phaseout of ozone-depleting chemicals. And… it worked. The ozone layer is healing. And the Montreal Protocol is probably the best environmental treaty that we’ve ever pulled off. But the Montreal Protocol had to deal with one set of chemicals. A handful of companies. A replacement that was already sitting on the shelf....

The 1997 East Asian financial crisis, the 2008 global food and energy crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic are all examples of global systemic shocks.  And when the next secretary-general takes office in January 2027, there will most likely be another complex crisis underway.  These days, a new complex global crisis pops up about as often as the Olympics. And the UN secretary-general may be the only...

The cables that carry most of the world’s data, the shipping lanes that carry its energy and goods, and the satellites that keep its financial systems running were all built on the assumption that the global economy was something that most actors wanted to protect. But that assumption is now being tested. Our connectivity has created new vulnerabilities, with physical and digital chokepoints that...

In 1994, United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali proposed a radical, new vision to reform the global financial infrastructure. He called it An Agenda for Development. But his proposal was watered down in committee and largely ignored by the financial powers of the time.  Today, more than 50 countries are in serious distress because of their debt.  And now, the crisis in the Hormuz S...

In the United Nations’ early years, Secretary-General Trygve Lie negotiated with governments to stop the nuclear arms race. But today, the code that could reshape civilization is owned by private companies.  This year, one of the leading artificial intelligence labs decided its new model was too dangerous to release. It was essentially a private CEO making a governance call for the entire world. T...

In 1960, when 17 African nations declared independence from colonial rule, the United Nations reinvented itself. Today, Africa and parts of Asia are home to the largest generation of young people in history.  In Africa alone, 12 million young people enter the workforce every year, but only 3 million formal jobs are created. Development assistance is no longer enough. African leaders want real stru...

During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, United Nations Secretary-General U Thant had three things on his side: personal diplomacy, the UN’s neutrality, and a few precious days to negotiate.  Today, the risk from war is once again at a dangerous level. And on this episode of World’s Toughest Job, we ask what leverage the next secretary-general will have when a threat simmers for months or years an...

This year, 193 member states will elect a new secretary-general of the United Nations. Over the next eight episodes, we’ll ask how the next secretary-general might actually make a difference on issues from economic turbulence and superpower rivalries to artificial intelligence, inequality, and climate change. But today, we’re starting off with the most basic question: What kind of leader does the...

Between now and the end of this year, 193 member states will elect a new secretary-general of the United Nations. This person will oversee a staff of tens of thousands around the world and be asked to manage global emergencies, avert climate disaster, and end wars—all while answering to 193 bosses. What kind of leader does the world need right now? And how should candidates prepare to serve not ju...