NewsNews Commentary

UN Interviews

United Nations

UN News interviews a wide range of people from senior news-making officials at Headquarters in New York, to advocates and beneficiaries from across the world who have a stake in helping the UN go about its often life-saving work in the field.

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30 episodes
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August 4 · 4 min
‘We can’t stop operating,’ says top UN peacekeeper on Ebola frontline
With the worst Ebola outbreak in the history of DR Congo still raging, UN peacekeepers must continue to protect civilians from both the virus and violence at the hands of multiple armed groups operating in the region, the Force Commander there has told UN News. MONUSCO's General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes said 'blue helmets' had increased their presence to ensure civilians are fully protected, while troops were working with local authorities and the World Health Organization to ensure there is enough security amid the outbreak. He told Eleuterio Guevane troops were playing other key roles including conducting vital community awareness campaigns and establishing rapid mobile operating bases to protect treatment centres.
July 24 · 12 min
‘Judicial work affects every element in our societies’
Every day, judges make decisions that change lives forever. They do so while reckoning with some of the worst of human nature, overwhelming workloads and constant public scrutiny - pressures that can ultimately affect the quality of justice they deliver. The Honorable Rangajeeva Wimalasena, Judge of the National and Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea, told UN News that judicial well-being is not simply about providing support for the profession, it's also about safeguarding the integrity of courts and ensuring fair, impartial justice for all. He spoke to Jolina Dong – who last year saw the law in action up close after interning at the US Supreme Court – just ahead of the International Day of Judicial Well-being on 25 July.
July 24 · 9 min
UN Humanitarian Air Service delivers aid - and hope - to those who need it most
Operating in some of the world’s worst humanitarian hotspots, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) aviation service is the backbone of emergency relief efforts and a lifeline for isolated communities. From war-torn Sudan to Ebola-affected eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond, millions of civilians rely on aid to survive. In turn, more than 680 humanitarian organizations worldwide count on the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to reach populations cut off by conflict, disease or natural disaster. Hedley Tah, UNHAS Head of External Relations, spoke to UN News’s Nathalie Minard about the critical role the service plays.
July 22 · 6 min
‘De-escalation’ of conflict needed before ships can pass through Strait of Hormuz
Little progress has been made for the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which an estimated 20 per cent of the world’s oils and gas supplies pass and which is now effectively closed as Iran and the United States continue to ratchet up strikes and counterstrikes. That’s according to the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, who told UN News that some 6,000 seafarers are still trapped on around 500 ships, in the Persian Gulf behind the strait. IMO is advising shipping not to attempt the passage until the conflict has been resolved. Daniel Dickinson spoke to Mr. Dominguez about what options are available to reopen the waterway but began by asking him for an update on the current situation in the gulf.
July 22 · 7 min
Studying at the UN to fight climate change at home
For Elisha Acheampong Darko, the climate crisis is personal. Since losing his friend to a flood in Ghana, which he attributes partially to climate change, Mr. Darko has worked to empower young people to fight for climate justice. As an undergraduate student at the University of Education, Winneba, in Ghana, Mr. Darko founded Join Me Today, a youth-led organization dedicated to protecting the environment from pollution and climate-related hazards. UN News’ Isaiah Steinberg asked him how a degree from the UN University fits into his journey in climate research and civil society.
July 22 · 5 min
‘Critical minerals boom must protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights’
As demand continues to grow for the critical minerals that power our mobile phones, electric cars and more, who’s looking out for the mainly indigenous peoples whose territories contain the vast majority of these natural riches? Tackling the issue from a human rights angle is UN Human Rights Council-appointed independent rights expert on climate change, Eliza Morgera, who’s been talking to UN News’s Daniel Johnson on the same day as the Security Council meets to discuss how to ensure that critical minerals extraction promotes peace and development, rather than conflict.
July 16 · 5 min
Helping South Sudan’s child soldiers to rebuild their lives
Too often, children are casualties of war. Sometimes, they’re even forced to fight. That’s the case in South Sudan, where UNICEF – the UN Children’s Fund, together with the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) – work with the Government to support the release and reintegration of underage fighters. Daniel Johnson spoke to the agency’s South Sudan Chief of Child Protection, Brendan Ross, from the capital Juba.
July 13 · 8 min
UNDP creates AI platform to support local businesses in Zanzibar
On the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar, the Government and local businesses faced a challenge: they relied on surveys conducted only once per year, making it difficult to quickly respond to travelers’ needs. Following conversations with the Tanzanian government on how to advance development and grow the tourism industry, the UN Development Programme, or UNDP, created a platform called Jozani AI – named after a national forest in Zanzibar – to empower the local government and local businesses to make more informed decisions. That’s just one example of how, even as the UN works to create a global governance framework for artificial intelligence, it is also using the technology to address global challenges and improve people’s lives. The UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative in Tanzania is John Rutere. UN News’ Isaiah Steinberg asked him how Jozani AI is helping people in Tanzania.
July 10 · 8 min
Haiti: Violence surge may signal gangs bracing for tougher security operations
An upsurge in violence in Haiti could be in anticipation of more “assertive operations” by the recently formed UN-backed Gang Suppression Force as rival gangs in the beleaguered Caribbean Island nation fight for control of territory and resources. Gangs control the vast majority of the capital Port-au-Prince, and terrorize the population with murder, rape and kidnapping for ransom. Some 1.5 million Haitians have been driven from their homes by the gangs. The UN Designated Expert on Human Rights in Haiti, William O’Neill, is a frequent visitor to the country. UN News’s Daniel Dickinson asked him what is driving the increase in violence.
July 8 · 9 min
Stronger maternal health systems, key to ending obstetric fistula
Professor Serigne Gueye, a Senegalese urologist and world expert on obstetric fistula, has spent decades helping women recover from one of the most devastating – yet preventable – childbirth injuries. Honoured with this year’s UN Population Award, he has treated patients across Africa, trained surgeons from more than 45 countries and championed access to quality maternal services. In an interview with UN News’s Ana Carmo, Professor Gueye said eliminating obstetric fistula depends on stronger maternal health systems and universal access to emergency obstetric care.

Showing 21–30 of 30 episodes