UN Interviews

Reparations for the crimes of the transatlantic slave trade “can’t be quantified” given the vast historical sweep of human history, according to the first Black African to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka.The longtime Nigerian democracy activist was at UN Headquarters in New York to take part in commemorations for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery, telling the General Assembly that it remains crucial to confront centuries of wrongdoing.Ana Carmo sat down with him in our UN News studio following the event and asked him to outline his main message to the international community.

Chad is seeing an influx of Sudanese refugees whose numbers are expected to pass the one million mark in coming months.Multiple UN agencies including the UN Development Programme, UNDP, have joined forces to help the most vulnerable; one example is the construction of a women’s centre that doubles as a safe haven.Francis James, the UNDP Resident Representative in Chad – said that the centre in Adre in eastern Chad is due to be inaugurated next month.Further initiatives include establishing schools close to the camps housing Sudanese refugees, Mr. Francis explained to UN News’s Daniel Johnson in Geneva.

Sarah Lewis, an Associate Professor at Harvard specializing in African and African American Studies, discusses the pivotal role of education in combating racism. She emphasizes how ignorance fuels racial injustice and the need for historic awareness. The conversation highlights the necessity of inclusive visual representation in education and critiques traditional narratives that exclude diverse voices. Additionally, Sarah inspires listeners to transform personal failures into catalysts for justice, fostering a more equitable society through critical analysis and collaboration.

After 14 years of war, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 marked a new chapter for Syria.However, with 90 percent of the population living in poverty and over a million displaced Syrians now preparing to return home, the country faces immense challenges as it begins the process of rebuilding.Filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab documented life under siege in Aleppo in her award-winning film, For Sama, before being forced to flee Syria in 2016. She has since become a leading advocate for justice and human rights.In this interview with UN News’ Pia Blondel, she reflects on her journey, the realities on the ground, and why – as Syria stands at a crossroads – accountability must be central to the country’s future. 

Child marriage remains a significant challenge in Nepal, impacting the lives of tens of thousands of young girls. While its prevalence has dropped from a staggering 60 per cent in 2006 to about 35 per cent in 2022, one in three girls is still married off before turning 18.Economic hardship, lack of access to education, cultural norms and gender inequality continue to drive the practice, with devastating consequences for young girls. Boys are also affected, with one in 10 forced into early marriage.UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been working alongside the Government and partners in Nepal to combat the scourge. UN News’ Vibhu Mishra spoke to UNICEF Representative in Nepal, Alice Akunga.

Cyclone Jude made landfall in Mozambique on Monday, bringing powerful winds and heavy rainfall that caused widespread destruction.This marks the third cyclone to strike the country in just four months, with significant flooding expected, particularly in the Zambezia and Nampula regions.UNICEF’s Chief of Advocacy, Communications, and Partnerships in Mozambique, Guy Taylor, has been outlining the serious risks to children in affected areas, which are densely populated and face a heightened threat of waterborne diseases.Speaking to UN News’s Felipe de Carvalho, Mr. Taylor outlined the ongoing emergency response efforts and the lifesaving aid being provided on the ground.

By the time a ceasefire began last November ending the devastating war in Lebanon between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli military, more than 4,000 people had been killed and at least 16,600 injured.The violence also uprooted hundreds of thousands and caused widespread damage to key infrastructure, exacerbating Lebanon’s long-running, multi-pronged crisis.Ghada Darwiche is one of those grieving: she lost her daughter, Dina, a UNHCR staffer who worked at the refugee agency’s office in Bekaa. She was killed along with her youngest son, Jad, when their home was hit by an Israeli missile on 23 September last year.To mark International Women’s Day, UN News’s Nancy Sarkis spoke to Ghada, who has a message to all those who have lost someone in war. 

Dangerously high stress levels and widespread mental health challenges continue to take a devastating toll on civilians in Ukraine, particularly on women and girls, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.“It’s a terrifying dilemma: do we decide to stay and endure this pregnancy during this constant shelling, or do we uproot our entire life and leave?” says Ulla Muller from the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) in Ukraine, highlighting the situation confronting many women there today.To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, Ms. Muller talks to UN News’s Nathalie Minard about the “super women” of Ukraine who have been forced to give birth amid shelling – and to support their families and the wider economy – three years since the Russian full-scale invasion began.

Explosive ordnance continues to claim lives across Syria, with more than 500 people killed or reported injured since December, according to the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).The long Syrian civil conflict which drew in multiple foreign forces in over a dozen years of fighting, has left a “devastating legacy of landmines and unexploded ordnance throughout the country”, affecting most of populated Syria, particularly in the northwest.Speaking from Damascus to UN News’s Khaled Mohamed, the Chief of the Mine Action Programme in Syria, Joseph McCartan, highlighted UNMAS’s efforts to address the contamination and deadly impact of unexploded ordnance in the country. 

From rising tides threatening coastal communities, to the urgent need for global energy transition, climate change is no distant crisis – it is a present reality.For young climate advocates like Fatou Jeng from The Gambia and Beniamin Strzelecki from Poland, the fight can be deeply personal. As they near the end of their tenure on the UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, they’ve been reflecting on what they’ve achieved.In this interview with UN News’ Pia Blondel, they discuss bridging grassroots activism and high-level policymaking – and share their advice for the next generation of advisers.