The Next Page

On the launch of the latest publication in the UN Historical Series, published by the UN Library & Archives Geneva, this episode of The Next Page explores the history of intellectual cooperation around the League of Nations, tracing the creation of the International Committee in Geneva and the Paris-based International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation. Guest speakers Dr. Martin Grandjean, University of Lausanne, and Professor Daniel Laqua, University of Northumbria, discuss the Institute’s ambitions, institutional rivalries with Geneva, questions on elitism, inclusivity and the nature of the project, and examples of initiatives—from textbook debates and student exchanges to heritage and scientific cooperation—that helped shape cultural diplomacy and paved the way for later multilateral efforts like UNESCO. Resources. Ask an Archivist!  Ask a Librarian! Grandjean, M. and Laqua D. (eds). Intellectual Cooperation at the League of Nations: Shaping Cultural and Political Relations. UN Historical Series. Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/554QVVqJaew Content    Guests: Dr. Martin Grandjean (University of Lausanne) and Professor Daniel Laqua (University of Northumbria) Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva 

This is AI x Multilateralism, a mini-series on The Next Page, where experts help us unpack the many ideas and issues at the nexus of AI and international cooperation.   AI has the dual potential to transform our world for the better, while also deepening serious inequalities. In this episode we speak to Dr. Rachel Adams, Founder and CEO of the Global Center on AI Governance and author of The New Empire of AI: The Future of Global Inequality. She shares why Africa-led and Majority World-led research and policy are essential for equitable AI governance that's grounded in the realities of people everywhere.  She reflects on: why the work of the Center's flagship Global Index on Responsible AI and its African Observatory on Responsible AI are bringing much-needed research and evidence to ensure AI governance is fair and inclusive.  her thoughts on the UN General Assembly's 2025 resolutions to establish an International Scientific Panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance, urging true inclusion of diverse voices, indigenous perspectives, and public input why we need to treat AI infrastructure as an AI Global Commons and, the power of local-language AI and public literacy in ensuring we harness the most transformative aspects of AI for our world.  Resources mentioned:  The Global Center on AI Governance The Center's Global Index on Responsible AI The Center's African Observatory on Responsible AI, and its research series Africa and the Big Debates on AI Production:    Guest: Dr. Rachel Adams Host, production and editing: Natalie Alexander Julien  Recorded & produced at the Commons, United Nations Library & Archives Geneva  Podcast Music credits: Sequence: https://uppbeat.io/track/img/sequence Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/img/sequence License code: 6ZFT9GJWASPTQZL0 #AI #Multilateralism #UN #Africa #AIGovernance

In this episode, we host Associate Professor Disa Sauter from the University of Amsterdam, and Edward Mishaud from The Beyond Lab at UN Geneva, to explore affective science and the role of hope in driving individual and collective sustainability action. They explain active versus passive hope, how different emotions shape decision-making, and why hopeful, solution-focused communication matters for sustainable development. The conversation highlights practical pathways for bringing emotion research into multilateral spaces, the secret of storytelling as a tool to cultivate hope, and real-world examples of collective impact. Listeners learn how hope can mobilize agency, bridge individual and collective action, and inform better policy, negotiations and outreach. Resources: Ask a Librarian! The Beyond Lab: https://www.thebeyondlab.org/ The International Day of Hope: https://www.un.org/en/observances/hope-day https://www.thebeyondlab.org/article/international-day-of-hope-2025  Brosch, T., & Sauter, D. (2023). Emotions and the climate crisis: A research agenda for an affective sustainability science. Emotion Review, 15(4), 253–257. https://doi.org/10.1177/17540739231193741  McKibben, B. (2025). Here comes the sun: A last chance for the climate and a fresh chance for civilization. W.W. Norton & Company. Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/WZrWb0NbbRY Content    Guests: Disa Sauter, University of Amsterdam Edward Mishaud, UN Geneva Beyond Lab Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva 

This is AI x Multilateralism, a mini-series on The Next Page, where experts help us unpack the many ideas and issues at the nexus of AI and international cooperation.   What does it mean to be AI literate, especially for the world’s diplomats leading negotiations on behalf of their countries? We’re joined by Dr. Jérôme Duberry, Senior Lecturer of International and Development Studies, Co-Director of Executive Education and the Head of the Tech Hub at the Geneva Graduate Institute. There, his research includes AI literacy across society, including among diplomats, and why this is critical to understanding the impact and potential of these technologies in our world.  Jérôme shares what AI literacy means for diplomats, and why both a technical and societal understanding of these technologies is critical for mitigating the risks of exclusion of many parts of society in AI development and deployment. He also shares the importance of culturally sensitive and accessible AI training, and the role of science and technology diplomacy to ensure all countries can participate fairly in AI governance.  Resources mentioned:    - The ITU AI Skills Coalition: https://aiforgood.itu.int/ai-skills-coalition/  - AI 2027 report, from the AI Futures Project: https://ai-2027.com/  - Elements of AI, a series of free online courses created by MinnaLearn and the University of Helsinki: https://www.elementsofai.com/ Content    Guest: Dr. Jérôme Duberry Host, production and editing: Natalie Alexander Julien  Recorded & produced at the Commons, United Nations Library & Archives Geneva  Podcast Music credits: Sequence: https://uppbeat.io/track/img/sequence Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/img/sequence License code: 6ZFT9GJWASPTQZL0 #AI #Multilateralism #UN #Diplomacy  

In this episode, Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), discusses the Convention’s first State of the World’s Migratory Species report, the urgent threats facing migratory animals, and the need for international cooperation and ecological connectivity to protect them. The conversation covers key findings from the report, main threats such as habitat loss and over-exploitation, successful cross-border conservation efforts, and practical ways governments, communities, scientists and industry can work together to safeguard migratory species.   Resources: Ask a Librarian! Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals  State of the World's Migratory Species Report: https://www.cms.int/publication/state-worlds-migratory-species Central Asian Mammals Initiative: https://cami.cms.int/about-cami Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/4AK9WjzyQRs  Content    Guest: Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary, Convention on Migratory Species Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded online & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva 

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Locarno Treaties of 1925, this episode explores the treaties' place in the "long 20th century," examining how leaders like Gustav Stresemann, Aristide Briand, and Austen Chamberlain sought a new European order in a transformed Atlantic and global setting after the First World War. Professor Patrick O. Cohrs explains the Treaties’ significance, strengths, weaknesses, and wider global echoes, and considers what the Locarno spirit can teach today’s leaders about diplomacy, learning, and collective security. Patrick O. Cohrs is Professor of International History at the University of Florence. He specialises in the history of modern international politics. His work focuses on war and peace and the transformation of the transatlantic and global order in the long twentieth century. He is the author of The Unfinished Peace after World War I (Cambridge University Press, 2006). His second book, The New Atlantic Order. The Transformation of International Politics, 1860–1933 (Cambridge University Press, 2022) won the 2023 Prose Award in World History. Resources: https://archives.ungeneva.org/ Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/ Content    Guest: Professor Patrick O. Cohrs Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva 

Welcome to AI X Multilateralism, a new series of conversations on The Next Page. In this collection, we’re joined by experts who help us unpack the many ideas and issues at the nexus of AI and international cooperation. Our first episode begins with the question: is it ethical to use AI in multilateral deliberations? We’re joined by Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, Head of Anticipatory Action and Innovation at the UNU-CPR, the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research. As a data scientist she’s worked in the private sector and across the UN system, and recently supported the work of the UN's Advisory Body on AI that undertook analysis and made advanced recommendations for the international governance of AI. In this episode, we explore: - the meaning of deliberations at the global level and why this is critical for multilateralism - how AI is being used today in multilateral deliberations and negotiations - the technical and ethical risks of using AI informally deliberations, including what this means for state sovereignty, authenticity and agency, and - solutions for turning the tide and harnessing AI ethically, fairly and sustainably by all who participate in multilateral fora through an ethics by design approach. Interested to find out more? - Read Eleonore's recommended open source pick, "An Ethical Grey Zone: AI Agents in Political Deliberations": https://carnegiecouncil.org/media/article/ethical-grey-zone-ai-agents-political-deliberation - Find out about the UN High-Level Advisory Body on AI: https://www.un.org/en/ai-advisory-body/about - Learn about the Global Digital Compact, adopted by Member States in 2024 at the Summit of the Future: https://www.un.org/digital-emerging-technologies/global-digital-compact - Read about the two mechanisms established by the UN General Assembly on 26 August 2025 to strengthen international cooperation on AI governance, the United Nations Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance: https://www.un.org/global-digital-compact/en/ai  Content    Guest: Eleonore Fournier-Tombs Host, production and editing: Natalie Alexander Julien  Recorded & produced at the Commons, United Nations Library & Archives Geneva  Podcast Music credits: Sequence: https://uppbeat.io/track/img/sequence Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/img/sequence License code: R8196BLUZNYOYWVB  #AI #Multilateralism #UN #Diplomacy

On the 100th anniversary of the League of Nations' 1925 Resolution on the Collaboration of the Press in the Organisation of Peace, we talk with Professor Kaarle Nordenstreng to explore how media, moral disarmament, and broadcasting shaped interwar internationalism and later global media debates. Professor Nordenstreng shares his thoughts on his research on the 1925 Resolution and the developments that led up to the 1936 International Convention on the Use of Broadcasting in the Cause of Peace. He connects these landmarks to the first mass media declaration by UNESCO in 1978. He also recounts highlights from his career from his early involvement in radio to interviewing Carl Jung in 1961, and speaking at the UN in 1982, and reflects on the continuing challenges of journalistic ethics, disarmament, and multilateralism today. The episode connects past media diplomacy to today’s challenges, urging renewed focus on media ethics, international cooperation, and the power of journalism to shape public opinion for peace. Resources: Ask a Librarian! Ask an Archivist! Communicating the League of Nations: Contributions to a Transnational Communication History of the League of Nations in the Inter-War Period (1920–1938).  United Nations Historical Series. 2024.  https://doi.org/10.18356/9789213589274 Kaarle Nordenstreng’s home page https://sites.tuni.fi/kaarle/ Publications available via the homepage related to the episode: Nordenstreng, K. and Seppä, T. The League of Nations and the Mass Media: Rediscovery of a Forgotten Story. Paper presented at the XV Conference of the International Association for Mass Communication Research IAMCR, New Delhi, August 1986. (17 pp.)  The New World Information and Communication Order: Testimony of an Actor. In Frank Deppe, Wolfgang Meixner & Günter Pallaver (eds.), Widerworte. Philosophie Politik Kommunikation. Festschrift für Jörg Becker. Innsbruck: Innsbruck University Press, 2011, 227-237. Revisiting 45 Years of History in Communication Policies (with Juan Somavia). Media Development, Vol. LXVII, 2/2021, 5-10. Does communication research and education take peace seriously? Panel presentation in IAMCR Conference Plenary “The contribution of academia to peace-building: Critique, creativity and activism” in Lyon, 11 July 2023. Interview with Carl Gustav Jung | Kaarle Nordenstreng's academic home page | Tampere Universities Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/ Content    Guest: Professor Kaarle Nordenstreng Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva With texts read by Natalie Alexander and Wouter Schallier. Coordinated by Hermine Diebolt. Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva   

Francesco Pisano, Director of the UN Library & Archives Geneva, reflects on the transformative power of knowledge, and the role of the Library & Archives in democratizing access to knowledge. He discusses projects like the Total Digital Access to the League of Nations, the balance between humans and machines, and how knowledge-led leadership can strengthen multilateral cooperation. As he prepares to step down from his 32-year UN career, Francesco Pisano emphasizes optimism, hope, and the responsibility of international civil servants to persist in doing the hard work of building wiser decisions for the future. Francesco says, "There is work to do. The system needs to get down to work, hard work."   Resources: Ask a Librarian! Archives platform: https://archives.ungeneva.org/lontad  Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/O44zlI7mGwg Content    Guest: Francesco Pisano https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/discover-institute/francesco-pisano  Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded and produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva 

In this insightful episode, we are honored to host Mr. Martin Chungong, the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and a leading voice in global parliamentary diplomacy. With over forty years of experience, Mr. Chungong shares his perspectives on the role of parliaments in addressing global challenges, fostering international cooperation, and promoting peace. We delve into the significance of the upcoming Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in a world in turmoil, exploring its role in bringing top legislators together to tackle pressing issues such as climate change, conflict resolution, and health emergencies. Mr. Chungong also sheds light on the IPU's efforts to advance gender equality, youth participation, and interfaith dialogue, emphasizing the organization's commitment to an inclusive, collaborative approach. Join us as we explore how the IPU is redefining parliamentary diplomacy, integrating scientific research, and setting the stage for effective solutions to modern global dilemmas. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in how parliaments can be a pivotal force in shaping a more democratic and harmonious world. Resources: Ask a Librarian! The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments: https://www.ipu.org/ Parline: global data on National Parliaments: https://data.ipu.org/ Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/D_IRzeA-a08 Content    Guest: Martin Chungong, Secretary General, IPU Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva