Global Leadership in a Turbulent Time: A Conversation with Professor Abiodun Williams

From the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to UN Security Council gridlock and escalating climate and migration crises, multilateral institutions face unprecedented tests. Amid these challenges lies a unique opportunity for a new generation of transformational leaders to emerge—driven by civic duty and the values of the UN Charter.

In this special roundtable discussion hosted by Council President Joel Rosenthal, Tufts University's Professor Abiodun Williams, former director of strategic planning for UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, draws upon his extensive experience to speak about the essential leadership traits and strategies needed to drive institutional change and benefit those they serve. Williams’ latest book, Kofi Annan and Global Leadership at the United Nations, sets out the challenges that the secretary-general managed at a time of great change, and charts his ambitious efforts to reform and adapt the UN to the needs of the 21st century. 

For more from Williams, read his recent Online Exclusive "Global Justice in a Turbulent World" for the Ethics & International Affairs journal website.

For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/global-leadership-williams

Please see below the names and affiliations for those who offered questions during the event:

21:45 – George Shadrack Kamanda, Carnegie Ethics Fellow; Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the UN

29:43 – James Ketterer, Center for Civic Engagement, Bard College

34:39 – Eddie Mandhry, Trustee, Carnegie Council 

38:51 – David Passarelli, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR)

46:25 – Giovanni Bassu, New York Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

48:31 – Tinatin Japaridze, Eurasia Group