Ideas Can a conference change our troubled world?
Sep 23, 2025
Heba Ali, a Canadian–Egyptian humanitarian journalist and organizer, leads a coalition for UN reform. She discusses the inadequacies of traditional crisis responses and stresses the need for courage in advocacy. Tim Murithi, a peacebuilding expert, emphasizes the urgency of revisiting outdated governance models. Augusto Lopez-Claros advocates for structural changes like a parliamentary assembly to enhance effectiveness. Finally, Alana O'Malley sheds light on member-state hesitations about reform while highlighting the necessity of reimagining the UN's role in the contemporary world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
UN Founded To Prevent Future Wars
- The UN was created in 1945 as a global Magna Carta to end war and protect future generations.
- That founding purpose still frames calls to reform the institution for current crises.
Journalist Turned Reform Campaigner
- Heba Ali left journalism after watching humanitarian appeals grow larger and gaps widen each year.
- She felt the UN's decision-making failures connected disparate crises and spurred her to act.
Veto Power Undermines Security Council
- The Security Council's veto grants five powers the ability to block action on conflicts they are involved in.
- Heba Ali argues the veto has turned into a tool that can prevent lifesaving measures globally.
