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In episode 39, we continue our exploration of multilateralism by looking at the challenges of multilateralism and discussing Professor Kathryn Lavelle’s new book on that topic. Kathryn Lavelle is the Ellen and Dixon Long Professor in World Affairs at the Department of Political Affairs at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she has worked for the past eighteen years. Professor Lavelle is a permanent member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations and is a global fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in its Global Europe programme. She also serves as a member of the editorial review board of the UNCTAD journal Transnational Corporations. In this conversation with Francesco Pisano, Director of the Library & Archives, Kathryn Lavelle takes us on a journey through her book The Challenges of Multilateralism. Starting with the historical context in which multilateralism emerged and the creation of major problem-solving organizations, she points to how the perception of multilateralism has changed over time. She highlights some of the challenges and the dynamic progress from which these arise, before they move on to discuss International Organizations and what the multilateralism may look like in the future. Professor Lavelle’s book is an accessible read for anyone interested in global development, public health, the environment, trade, international finance, humanitarian law and security studies.   Resources  Learn more about Professor Kathryn Lavelle's new book The Challenges of Multilateralism: https://bit.ly/37Mol5j Read the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3m1FTj0 The Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/ Graduate Institute Geneva: https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/home.html Arctic Circle Assembly: http://www.arcticcircle.org/ Content Speakers: Professor Kathryn Lavelle & Francesco Pisano Host/Editor: Amy Smith  Producer: Karen Lee Images: Courtesy of Kathryn Lavelle Social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee  Recorded & produced at the Library & Archives UN Geneva

Today, we continue with our Knowledge Rising Series dedicated to conversations with young activists, knowledge-shapers and change-makers. In episode 38, we are joined by Carla McKirdy and Klas Moldéus, members of Young UN: Agents for Change. Established in 2016, Young UN is a cross-UN, global and inclusive network with more than 2,000 members across UN entities in over 80 duty stations. A voluntary and decentralized global network, Young UN fosters a space to catalyze, amplify and accelerate change by crowdsourcing ideas, driving innovation and advocating for cultural change for UN values and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the bottom-up. Carla and Klas speak on the values of the Young UN network and their ongoing mission to create a space where innovation and new ideas are encouraged and developed. The two also speak on bridging the gap between Young UN and the mechanisms of the larger international bureaucracy of the United Nations, and the continuous ways they are collaborating and conversing with many different parts of the organization. Just as “Agents for Change” is the network’s motto, Carla and Klas also emphasize the importance of embodying these very words themselves, in their everyday. As young professionals, and young UN staff members, they continue to work towards a shared vision of a UN that fully embodies the principles it stands for. About Carla McKirdy Carla has years of experience in communications and advocacy, encompassing journalism, content marketing, knowledge management and multimedia production in both the private and public sectors. Carla has worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In addition, she has worked for the Department of Global Communications (DGC) in New York, United States, the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials (UNAKRT) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands in different capacities. Currently, she is working at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as the Associate Public Information Officer on the Young Professionals Programme (YPP). About Klas Moldéus Klas Moldéus is working with United Nations Water based in Geneva, Switzerland. Having grown up in Sweden, he has since led sustainable development and startup initiatives in countries including Myanmar, Kenya and Ethiopia. Klas Moldéus is a passionate advocate for sustainable development and innovation, and as part of the Young UN network he has contributed to several initiatives promoting environmental sustainability, bottom-up approaches and driving innovation at the UN. Resources  Learn more about Young UN: http://www.young-un.org/ Read the transcript here: https://bit.ly/364KLit Content Speakers: Klas Moldéus & Carla McKirdy Host/Editor: Natalie Alexander  Producer: Karen Lee Images: Photos by Klas Moldéus / Carla McKirdy Social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee  Recorded & produced at the UN Geneva Library & Archives     

Episode 37 brings you a philosophical view on global cooperation, multilateralism and diversity. We speak with Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne, a Senegalese philosopher who is currently the Director of the Institute of African Studies, as well as Professor of French and of Philosophy at Columbia University in the City of New York.  In this conversation, Professor Diagne shares the need to replenish pluralism and diversity in the practice of philosophy today, and to understand the bridges that have connected the philosophies of the world throughout history. He also reflects on global languages, and how each language itself brings a perspective on the world that tests the universality of our own thinking.   We also touch upon philosophy in our daily lives - how can the principles of philosophy help us to face our common global challenges, including the climate crisis and pandemics? He shares the philosophical concepts he believes are critical to restitute in order to move forward together.  We hope this episode brings you food for thought and action.  Resources  Learn more about Professor Souleymane Diagne: https://french.columbia.edu/content/souleymane-bachir-diagne Find out about Professor Diagne’s books and publications: https://french.columbia.edu/content/diagne Read the transcript here: https://bit.ly/2Hf94AK Content Speaker: Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne Host/Editor: Natalie Alexander  Producer: Karen Lee Images: Photo by Charlotte Force / Columbia University in the City of New York.  Social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee  Recorded & produced at the UN Geneva Library & Archives 

While we cannot travel much these days, as we work together through COVID-19, we hope this story will take you on a bit of a journey! Our colleagues Gudrun Beger and Colin Wells, from the Institutional Memory Section at the UN Geneva Library & Archives, join us for a special look into the League of Nations Archives.  Gudrun is Team Analyst and Colin is Project Manager for the LONTAD Project, the Total Digital Access to the League of Nations Archives Project, which upon completion will ensure free access online to, as well as the digital and physical preservation of, the entire archives of the League of Nations. For this conversation, Gudrun shares a brief history of The World’s Most Traveled Document: our passports and travel IDs. As part of the team working recently on the processing of the Mixed Archival Nansen Fond, they came across examples of some of the very first modern passports and travel IDs issued. Colin also shares some analysis about what we can find in the Archives on these documents, as well as the importance of the Archives collection to our understanding today of our history, the work of the League and some its lasting impacts, and multilateralism as it evolves and moves forward.   Resources and Episode Materials  The Total Digital Access to the League of Nations Archives Project (LONTAD) will ensure state-of-the-art free online access and the digital and physical preservation of the entirety of the archives of the League of Nations (1920-1946), the first global intergovernmental organization aiming to establish international peace and cooperation, and the predecessor of the United Nations. The League of Nations Archives have been registered since 2009 on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Find out more here: https://lontad-project.unog.ch/ The LONTAD Project Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Digital_Access_to_the_League_of_Nations_Archives_Project  Learn more about the United Nations Archives at Geneva: https://bit.ly/2WZQuRH Find us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/UNOGLibrary and https://twitter.com/lontadinho  More on the dried bananas mentioned in the episode: the dried bananas were initially sent by a producer of banana flour to the Economic and Financial Section of the League, with a request to include the item in the new unified customs nomenclature. See a photo of the dried bananas below! Images and Credits Dried bananas, found in the League of Nations Archives (United Nations Archives at Geneva).   Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian polar explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace prize laureate. (Wikimedia Commons: Henry Van der Weyd)     Nansen certificate issued in France as an international substitute for a passport, part of the League of Nations Archives (United Nations Archives at Geneva).     Passport of a Russian refugee (Konstantin Wlassoff-Klass) containing numerous German stamps, part of the League of Nations Archives (United Nations Archives at Geneva). Content: Speakers: Gudrun Beger, Colin Wells and Stefan Vukotic. Host & Editor/Producer: Natalie Alexander. Images: United Nations Archives at Geneva (see images for more information). Sound effects: Via Envato Market (Belle Epoque Waltz and WWI Battle Ambience), Soviet March by Shane Ivers (https://www.silvermansound.com) and World of Brothers Allegretto by Dee Yan-Kee). Recorded & produced by the UN Geneva Library & Archives.  

In episode 35, James Bell, Vice President of Global Strategy at the Pew Research Center, joins us for a deeper look into one of the Center’s latest research polls on public perception of international cooperation. James and his team surveyed more than 14,000 citizens in 14 different countries, asking participants their opinions on the United Nations and its role in multilateral governance.   Drawing from his extensive background in research and a specific interest in citizens and how they think and what they care about, James takes us through the research project that was published in September 2020.   With a special focus on the way in which young people (those aged 18-29) viewed global cooperation, he shares that the findings indicate an encouraging optimism towards multilateralism and the increasing importance of young voices. He also explores the ways in which different global issues – such as the pandemic and climate change – affect public opinion.   We hope this episode offers you a fresh perspective on the importance of data, research and all of its findings.  The Research Report – International Cooperation Welcomed Across 14 Advanced Economies: https://pewrsr.ch/3l43bVU About James Bell James Bell is vice president of global strategy at Pew Research Center. He plays a leading role in guiding the international research undertaken by the Center. Bell helps to design survey projects, develop questionnaires, analyze data and write reports. Prior to joining the Pew Research Center, Bell worked at the U.S. State Department for nearly a decade, most recently as director of international opinion research. Bell earned his doctorate in geography from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is an author of The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity, Global Opinion of Obama Slips, International Policies Faulted, Russians Back Protests, Political Freedoms, Egyptians Remain Optimistic, Embrace Democracy and Religion in Political Life and Religion in Latin America. Bell has appeared on CNN, CNBC, and BBC World Service Radio, and has presented internationally, including at the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations annual conference. James’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/james_e_bell Further Resources The Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/ The Pew Research Center Twitter: https://twitter.com/pewresearch Access the episode transcript here: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/c.php?g=673332&p=4880979&t=15784 Content Speakers: James Bell & Karen Lee Host & Editor/Producer: Karen Lee Images: James Bell / The Pew Research Center Social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee  Recorded & produced at the UN Geneva Library & Archives 

In episode 34, Dr. John Pace, former Secretary to the Commission on Human Rights and Coordinator of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights joins The Next Page to share his knowledge in the field of human rights, while introducing his recently published book, The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, A Very Great Enterprise.   With more than three decades of experience in humanitarian work, Dr. Pace takes us back in time, with a special focus on the council that began it all: The United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Starting from its inception and moving through its ongoing evolution, he takes us on a journey along the Commission’s rich history and its role in the multilateral protection of human rights.  He also emphasizes the role of civil society in the discussion and advancement of human rights and multilateral cooperation, and considers the critical questions: how does a topic as universal and intersectional as human rights translate into global cooperation? And why are universal human values important? In this conversation, Dr. Pace richly informs us on a subject that is integral and invaluable to us all.      About Dr. John Pace  To learn more about his new book: https://bit.ly/3mynCdP The e-version may also be found on most online book stores. In the course of a career spanning over fifty years in the field of human rights, John Pace has been involved in a wide range of experiences in human rights and related institutional structures and procedures.  Since leaving regular UN service in 1999, he has held senior positions in the human rights/humanitarian field in Liberia, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Nepal. In the same period, he has worked in various other countries such as Indonesia, Sudan, Cambodia and Vietnam. He has been involved in the establishment and management of most departments that currently make up the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, such as Special Procedures, Technical Cooperation, and External Relations and in later years, the formation, or re-structuring of teams and management units.  As a senior official, he played an important role in the design and restructuring of the Secretariat upon the creation of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He is currently Senior Visiting Fellow at the Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales, he also sits on the Board of the Diplomacy Training Programme. He is Adjunct at University of Sydney, School of Law. Dr. John Pace on the Future of Human Rights Forum: https://bit.ly/3kE6a6Z Dr. John Pace on civil society and the voyage of the great enterprise: https://bit.ly/31T79c8 Further Resources   Access the episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/35HUOsB The UN Geneva Library & Archives also has a Research Guide on human rights! Find out more here: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/hrtimeline Content Speakers: John Pace & Karen Lee Host & Editor/Producer: Karen Lee Images: John Pace / Karen Lee Social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee  Recorded & produced at the UN Geneva Library & Archives     

In Episode 33, Ambassador Umej Bhatia, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the UN in Geneva and the UN in Vienna, joins The Next Page to speak about multilateralism from the perspective of a small state.   What kind of distinct importance does multilateralism and diplomacy have for small states? How does a rules-based multilateral order achieve global cooperation? How can small states turn vulnerability into opportunity? And, how have small states come together in the past and the present to further solidify their commitment to multilateralism? Ambassador Umej answers these questions and more, sharing insights from his years of experience not only as an Ambassador but also as an author and historian.   Ambassador Umej speaks about the various layers of multilateralism, from globalization, micro and macrolateralism to vaccine multilateralism. He also shares some insights on his new book, Our Name is Mutiny, a piece of creative non-fiction exploring the Singaporean experience between the years 1907 and 1915.   We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did! About Ambassador Umej Bhatia   Beyond being Singapore's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Umej is also a writer, historian, Permanent Representative to the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization and Resident Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. To learn more about Ambassador Umej: https://bit.ly/34zvDaP Ambassador Umej's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BhatiaUmej Singapore UNOG Twitter: https://twitter.com/SGPMissionGva To learn more about his new book: https://bit.ly/2HWBrnc Further Resources   Access the episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3j28XVU The UN Geneva Library & Archives also has a Research Guide on multilateralism! Find out more here: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/multilateralism  Content Speakers: Umej Bhatia & Francesco Pisano Host & Editor/Producer: Karen Lee Images: Arabian Business / The National Social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee  Recorded & produced at the UN Geneva Library & Archives 

In Episode 32, historian, author and professor of history, Margaret MacMillan, joins The Next Page to share some of her insights on the makings of multilateralism as we know it today.    What are some of the roots of modern multilateral cooperation? How did individuals and institutions promote and build multilateralism, and how did they work to spread their ideas? What is the role of public opinion, and has this changed over time? Professor MacMillan shares some fascinating insights into these questions and more, looking at the beginnings of modern multilateralism in the 19th century, to the creation of the first global multilateral organization, the League of Nations, and the post-1945 era with the beginning of the United Nations. As we mark 100 years of multilateralism in Geneva, she also reflects on the evolution of multilateralism over the years, as well as a few thoughts on the multilateralism of the future.  As an avid reader and writer of many books on history, she also shares a glimpse of her most recent book, War: How Conflict Shaped Us, soon to be released on 6 October 2020, and a few tips on how she approaches the writing process. Hope you enjoy this listen as much as we did!  About Professor Margaret MacMillan   Margaret MacMillan is a Professor of History at the University of Toronto and emeritus Professor of International History and the former Warden of St. Antony's College at the University of Oxford. To learn more about her, visit: http://www.margaretmacmillan.com/Bio.php   To explore her full collection of books, including Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World (2001); The War that Ended Peace (2014); History’s People (2015); and War: How Conflict Shaped Us (2020), visit her website: http://www.margaretmacmillan.com/index.php Further Resources   Access the episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/33gBtic To find out more about 100 years of Multilateralism in Geneva, visit: https://multilateralism100.unog.ch/front  The UN Geneva Library & Archives also has a Research Guide on multilateralism! Find out more here: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/multilateralism  And, view some of Margaret MacMillan's books here at the Library: https://bit.ly/3456R24  Content Speakers: Margaret MacMillan & Natalie Alexander  Host & Editor/Producer: Karen Lee & Natalie Alexander Editorial Guidance: Pierre-Etienne Bourneuf, Scientific Advisor at UN Geneva Library & Archives Images: Ander McIntyre Social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee  Recorded & produced at the UN Geneva Library & Archives 

Welcome to The Next Page podcast. The UN Geneva Library & Archives are back from summer break, with lots of projects coming up in the next few months. Keep up-to-date over at our Twitter and Facebook pages. In Episode 31 we are joined by Dr. David Nabarro, one of six Special Envoys to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the current COVID-19 crisis, and the Strategic Director at 4SD (Skills, Systems and Synergies for Sustainable Development).   In conversation with our Director Francesco Pisano, David shares his unique insights on the current pandemic, its many challenges, but the largely hopeful vision he has for the future. Speaking from decades of service as a medical doctor, special envoy, and strategic director at 4SD, Dr. David Nabarro takes us through the present pandemic, but more importantly, points us to the future, and the collective cooperation we must all champion.   We also hear his thoughts on the ways in which he believes COVID-19 will affect Agenda 2030, and the various implications that the virus will have on our path to achieving the sustainable development goals.  Resources Learn more about David and 4SD: https://www.4sd.info/ Learn more about Agenda 2030 and the 17 sustainable development goals: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld Access the episode transcript here: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/audio/davidnabarro Content Speakers: David Nabarro and Francesco Pisano Host & Editor/Producer: Karen Lee Images: UN/UNAIDS/David Nabarro (Twitter). Graphics, social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee Recorded & produced by the UN Geneva Library & Archives

Welcome to The Next Page podcast. The UN Geneva Library & Archives are back from summer break, with lots of projects coming up in the next few months. Keep up-to-date over at our Twitter and Facebook pages. In Episode 30 we are joined by the new Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation, Corinne Momal-Vanian, who recently joined the Foundation after more than 30 years at the UN, including her most recent post as Director of the Division of Conference Management at UN Geneva. In conversation with our Director Francesco Pisano, Corinne shares about her new role and the work and values of the Kofi Annan Foundation. She also shares her reflections on multilateralism and the current state of the UN today, including some of the challenges its facing, as well as opportunities for how the UN can move forward as we look to multilateralism in the future.  We also hear her thoughts on women, gender equality and parity, and leadership in international organizations, and the values she’s inspired by from some of our past and present leaders here at the UN. For more inspiration and learning, head to the links below. Resources Learn more about Corinne and the Kofi Annan Foundation: https://www.kofiannanfoundation.org/member/corinne-momal-vanian/ Access the episode transcript here: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/c.php?g=673332&p=4880979&t=15286 Other Podcast Episodes Listen to Episode 4: Conversation on Innovation in International Organisations with Tina Ambos and Corinne Momal-Vanian Listen to Episode 19: Former President of the Kofi Annan Foundation on his book A Peacekeeper in Africa, Learning from UN Interventions in Other People’s Wars. Listen to Episode 20: Conversation with Catherine Bertini on Leading Transformational Change in International Organizations Check out the Library Research Guides on Women and Gender Equality and Women and Global Diplomacy.   Content Speakers: Corinne Momal-Vanian and Francesco Pisano Host & Editor/Producer: Natalie Alexander Images: Kofi Annan Foundation Graphics, social media designs and transcript: Karen Lee. Recorded & produced by the UN Geneva Library & Archives.