The Lid is On
This flagship podcast series from UN News takes its name from the words that correspondents at UN Headquarters in New York hear each night, at the end of the working day. We highlight the in-depth human stories behind the UN’s work and the way that it touches and impacts ordinary lives around the world.
Episodes
A city with a global vision: New York, the United Nations, and the post-war dream of peace
The post Second World war dream of global peace which brought countries from around the world together at the United Nations continues to resonate as the UN marks 80 years of its existence in New York City.
It was never set in stone that the organization would find its permanent home in New York as it was competing with other locations in the United States to host the world body.
The UN eventual
Young leaders expand the circles of peace
2025 marks the 10th anniversary of one of the most significant resolutions on youth and peace ever adopted by the UN Security Council.
Resolution 2250 led to widespread changes in the ways that the voices of young people are not just heard but also incorporated into peace plans and policies.
In this episode of our flagship podcast, The Lid is On, Conor Lennon speaks to some of the young leaders
PODCAST: Turning climate stories into climate action
Storytelling has the power to inspire action, and when celebrities and influencers use their platforms for climate advocacy, the impact can reach audiences across the globe.
In September at UN Headquarters in New York, actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau shared his experiences of visiting UN Development Programme (UNDP) initiatives for his Bloomberg TV series, An Optimist’s G
PODCAST: Space exploration is ‘not a luxury’ but essential for life on Earth
Space exploration and the use of space technology is becoming an increasingly critical part of the global economy, but how can the world ensure its benefits are felt, not just in the developed world but also in poorer and less technologically advanced developing countries?
The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) was established for that exact reason and more particularly to accelerate sust
The unstoppable rise of renewables
Wind and solar energy are now the cheapest sources of energy, bringing cleaner air, stronger communities, and new economic opportunities. In September at UN Headquarters in New York, the SDG Media Zone hosted a discussion highlighting the momentum of the clean energy transition, and how expanding access to wind and solar can improve public health, create jobs, and accelerate economic growth.
The
PODCAST: The truth is out there
Too often, coordinated misinformation campaigns are amplified and monetized via digital advertising, hampering efforts to address the climate crisis.
In the lead up to the November COP30 UN Climate Conference in Belém Brazil, the SDG Media Zone turned the spotlight on this pressing challenge, bringing together UN Senior Adviser on Information Integrity, Charlotte Scaddan; Jacob Dubbins, Co-Chair
‘Time running out to locate Syria’s missing’, warns head of UN-backed body
At UN Headquarters in New York, Karla Quintana, head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria (IIMP), has warned that time is running out to find the hundreds of thousands who disappeared during the country’s long conflict. “Everyone in Syria knows someone who has gone missing,” Ms. Quintana told UN News.
In conversation with Ezzat El-Ferri, she underscored that the search must b
PODCAST: Eight decades on, we need the UN more than ever
There was a wealth of stories to follow at high-level week of the UN General Assembly, from the conference on the Israel-Palestine two-State solution, to the ambitious pledges made at the Climate Summit, and the launch of two bodies aimed at finally creating truly inclusive international AI governance.
But one theme that shone through was the importance of multilateralism and the work of the Unit
International community prepares to tackle marine life extinction threat
In this episode of The Lid Is On, experts discuss the urgent need to restore the Ocean, which is facing a host of threats that could drive millions of marine life species into extinction and even endanger humanity.
The protection of marine biodiversity will be under discussion at the UN Ocean Conference in June, where advocates will join politicians and members of the private sector to share solu
Global shipping faces a climate reckoning
The shipping industry moves 90% of world trade—and produces nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
In this episode of 'The Lid is On', Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), explains how a new UN agreement sets the sector on a path to net zero by 2050, introduces a global carbon pricing plan, and addresses concerns from the world’s
The $300,000 scam that entrapped a US-based woman from Thailand
A Thai woman has been talking about how she was tricked into handing over more than $300,000 to a criminal gang that entrapped her in an elaborate scam that began as a supposed case of identity fraud and which led her to believe that she and her family could be facing prison.
A new report released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says that the transnational organized crime groups in As
‘If countries stop playing by trade rules, poorer countries will suffer’
In this episode of The Lid Is On, Conor Lennon from UN News speaks to Luz Maria de la Mora, the Director of the International Trade Division at UNCTAD, about the uncertainty that unilateral tariffs are having on the global trade outlook, and why the consequence could be particularly serious for developing economies.
Music by Joachim Harris, all rights reserved
Is feminism under attack?
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a key UN policy document adopted in 1995, has been credited for several major advances for women, from legislation outlawing domestic abuse to inspiring a new wave of young gender justice activists.
But despite undeniable progress in gender relations over the past 30 years, inequalities between men and women persist and, in recent years, there has
COP29 delivers climate finance boost, but much more needed to help developing nations cope with the crisis
Just 35 hours later than advertised, the UN Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan wrapped up, with an agreement to triple the amount of climate finance paid to developing nations to $300 billion per year, by 2035.
The deal is a definite step forward, but the final sum is far less than the $1.3 trillion that climate experts say these countries need in order to adapt to the crisis.
On this episod
Will COP29 deliver the trillions needed to halt the man-made climate crisis?
COP29, this year’s UN Climate Conference, is being called the “climate finance COP”, because delegates are expected to sign off on a beefed-up funding target to replace the existing $100 billion per year commitment. The final figure the negotiators arrive at remains to be seen and it could be anywhere from a few hundred billion, to over a trillion dollars per year.
On this episode of The Lid Is O
Focus on the Future: Peace, out
The risk of the world’s major powers engaging in conflict is at its highest level since the Cold War, and the possibility of nuclear war breaking out is greater today than it has been for several decades.
On the final episode of Focus on the Future, Conor Lennon and Ben Malor from UN News concentrate on international peace and security, and how the Pact for the Future could help to reduce tensio
Focus on the Future: A world in dangerous waters
In the Pact for the Future UN Member States pledged to do more to fight the climate crisis, a subject that has dominated several sessions at UN Headquarters this week.
On Thursday’s episode of Focus on the Future, Conor Lennon and Sachin Gaur discuss some of the big climate-related events, including a General Assembly meeting on sea level rise.
The rate of sea level rise has more than doubled ov
Focus on the Future: The World arrives
Reforming the Security Council, to make it more representative of today’s world, has been under discussion for decades. The subject made it into the Pact for the Future, adopted earlier this week. Does this mean that it is more likely to happen?
Global governance is the key theme of today’s show, which is dominated by the opening of the General Debate, when Heads of State, Prime Ministers and Pre
Focus on the Future: Ascending the Summit
Crippling debt burdens are holding many African countries back: some of them are paying more on repayments than on health, education and infrastructure.
On today’s show Conor Lennon is joined by Sachin Gaur from the UN News Hindi Unit, to cover the events focused on sustainable development and rethinking the entire international financial architecture. The big question is, how we can make it fai
Focus on the Future: Signed, sealed, delivered
On the first episode of Focus on the Future, our mini-series running throughout High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly, Conor Lennon and Shanaé Harte explain what the Summit of the Future is all about, how to bring back trust between countries and why UN HQ was full of young people all weekend!
Contact us: thelidison@un.org
LINKS
• UN News Summit of the Future page Summit of the Future | UN
Trailer: The daily UNGA High-Level Week podcast
Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers attending High-Level Week at UN Headquarters in New York have steadily ticked upwards, and this year is set to be a packed event.
If that sounds overwhelming, worry not. UN News is releasing a daily podcast mini-series, designed to make sense of it all.
Each episode of Focus on the Future will have a main topic linked to the focus of the day, a
‘New models’ for UN peacekeeping to support safer and more equitable world
The future of UN peacekeeping and the “new models” it needs to create to remain relevant in the 21st Century are set to be discussed at the landmark Summit of the Future taking place in New York from 22 September.
There are currently 11 UN missions around the world, mainly in Africa and the Middle East.
Their goal is to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace.
UN humanitarians fight for women’s rights in crisis zones
Workers with the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, have some of the toughest assignments going in the humanitarian field, helping protect new mothers and babies often born in the midst of intense conflict zones.
For this episode of UN News’s flagship podcast, The Lid is On, two UNFPA representatives reflect on their life-saving work with UN News’ Shanaé Harte.
They discuss some
The power of our choices: from war-torn childhood to Nobel Peace Prize nominee
A Ugandan man, some of whose family and friends were abducted in the East African country, tells the story of his journey from war-torn childhood to becoming the youngest ever African nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Victor Ochen grew up in northern Uganda at a time when the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, was terrorising the region with violent abductions, forced child soldier recruitment, a
Holding back the winds of change in Madagascar…with the sisal plant
The cultivation of sisal plants by some of the most vulnerable communities in southern Madagascar is helping to tackle desertification and allow people to stay on their land, thanks to a project by the UN Development Programme.
The seasonal Tiomena wind, a fiercely strong wind that blows over the coastline, has driven sandy soils across productive farmland forcing many people to give up their su
Can Dominica’s Indigenous community cope with the next hurricane?
Dominica is described as highly disaster-vulnerable: the country is regularly hit by hurricanes and, when the last one swept through in 2017, it caused huge devastation across the island.
The government, led by President Sylvanie Burton, the first woman and the first member of the indigenous Kalinago community to be the country’s Head of State, wants to make Dominica the world’s first ‘climate re
Can oil producers wean themselves off polluting fossil fuels?
The vast majority of small island developing States (SIDS) are heavily dependent on polluting, and expensive, fossil fuels for their energy needs: some spend around a quarter of their national budgets on imported fuel.
However, for Trinidad & Tobago, fossil fuels have been a boon to the economy: the country has exploited its oil and gas reserves for several decades and profited from the
Dominica’s Digital Transformation
Like many island economies, Dominica experiences high youth unemployment, and recent events, in particular Hurricane Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic, have combined to make the search for work even harder.
A UN-backed initiative designed to improve the employment options for young Dominicans, Work Online Dominica, has been successful in helping them to overcome the barriers they face on a small, r
Trinidad’s young climate activists make the case for urgent action
Caribbean island nations are vulnerable to a host of extreme weather events, from hurricanes to floods and droughts, that are becoming more dangerous and intense as a result of the climate emergency.
UN News met with three of the most prominent young climate activists on Trinidad & Tobago, and learned of their frustration with current environmental legislation, and what they are doing to
Geothermal promises to turn Dominica into a clean energy powerhouse
Dominica may have found a solution to cover all of its electricity needs, and even sell electricity abroad, without burning fossil fuels: geothermal energy. This power source is 100 per cent clean, cheap and practically limitless.
Conor Lennon from UN News meets Vince Henderson, Dominica’s Minister for Economic Development and Sustainable Energy, and Fred John, CEO of the Dominica Geothermal Deve
Trinidad fights back against a plastic invasion
Small Island Developing States are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution. As well as coping with a tsunami of waste washes up on their beaches every day, these countries – which are generally highly dependent on imports – generate a large amount of plastic waste of their own, and often struggle to manage it.
Plastic pollution has a detrimental effect on the health and livelihoods of people
WATCH: Peace and reconciliation in Kosovo ‘starts with youth’
In Kosovo, where tensions remain high between the ethnic Albanian and ethnic Serb communities, the United Nations is leading efforts to promote open communication and dialogue.
The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was established in 1999, well before the declaration of independence in 2008, and today plays a central role in promoting peace and security, and respect for human rights, in a region where
Where are Haiti’s gangs getting their weapons?
The Haitian economy may be on its knees, but the gangs that control much of the capital Port-au-Prince seem to have little trouble obtaining guns, mainly from the USA.
The country is awash with weapons: according to experts convened by the UN Secretary-General, these “deadly arsenals” mean that gangs have “firepower that exceeds that of the Haitian national police,” and the problem is getting wor
WATCH: ‘Football saved my life’ says genocide survivor
April 7 marks three decades since the beginning of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. An almost unimaginable slaughter, which saw an estimated 800,000 people killed in just 100 days, and shocked the world.
Eric Eugene Murangwa was a footballer at the time, playing for Rayon Sports, one of the top teams in the country, based in the capital Kigali.
As a Tutsi, he was in extreme danger
WATCH: Foreign armies creating ‘never-ending cycle of violence’ in Syria
Now in its thirteenth year, the war in Syria shows no signs of letting up, and several foreign powers are active in the country, including Russia, the US, Turkey and Israel, which has stepped up its bombardments since the 7 October Hamas attacks.
The latest report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry details a marked escalation of violence, over the last six months, and outlines the disas
PODCAST: Bringing order to the AI ‘Wild West’
This episode of The Lid Is On focuses on cutting edge online technology, and the UN’s role in making sure that it benefits humanity, rather than causing us harm.
Proponents of AI point to the immense benefits these tools could bring to society, but the clamour for robust regulation of AI is growing louder. Similarly, the car industry is forging ahead with plans to ramp up autonomous driving techn
PODCAST: Breaking barriers around teen pregnancy in Thailand
Thailand has been lauded for the progressive legislation it has passed into law which ensures that women and girls have the right to a range of sexual and reproductive health services, but many teenagers struggle to access the care they need. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been working with organizations in the South East Asian country to make sure those young people receive the support they a
PODCAST: Crises and international division ‘challenging’ says UN peacekeeping chief
UN peacekeeping operations are facing more challenging political and security conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa and require the united and committed support from Member States. However, as the head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, tells the Lid is On podcast from UN News, a multiplication of crises, and divisions amongst Member States are complicating peacekeeping operations.
PODCAST: Nevermind the guest list, deliver on SDGs says Guterres
The UN chief has a strong message for those who say the absence of some key leaders is a blow to this year’s General Assembly week – rise to the moment and deliver on your promises. In this special edition of the Lid is On, we speak exclusively to Secretary-General António Guterres about the SDGs, climate change and much more.
PODCAST: UN boosts fight against drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle
Countries in Southeast Asia are coming together with the support of the UN to tackle what is being described as “one of the biggest drug-trafficking corridors in the world.”
Traditionally, the highly addictive drugs, opium and heroin were trafficked out of the region, but now more dangerous synthetic drugs are being manufactured in remote jungle laboratories in ever larger quantities.Closer colla
PODCAST: Can young leaders help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?
With the world currently recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and reeling from the economic fallout of the war in Ukraine, progress on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals remains slow.
So, can we pick up the pace in the seven years we have left in this decade, and get closer to realizing the Goals? And can Youth Leaders make a difference?
During the 2023 UN Youth Forum, Conor Lenno
PODCAST: A new generation of SDG champions picks up the baton
On today’s episode of The Lid Is On, Conor Lennon speaks to three exceptional young changemakers who have been recognized by the UN for the contributions they are making to a more sustainable world.
Vee Kativhu is an award-winning education activist from Zimbabwe, American Paralympian Jamal Hill launched a foundation to cut the number of people who drown each year, and Karen Wang, from China, i
PODCAST: Youth leaders fighting for a better world
The UN Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an inspiring group of young people from across the world, achieving great things in areas as diverse as gender equality, climate action, and health equity.
The current cohort were all in New York in April for the 2023 UN Youth Forum, an annual gathering where youthful changemakers can voice their opinions, contribute to polic
PODCAST: Humanitarian Leadership Stories – Development
In the final episode of Humanitarian Leadership Stories, a mini-series produced in collaboration with the UN Humanitarian Office, OCHA, we find out why there’s so much more to relief work than just delivering emergency assistance.
Daniel Johnson hears from humanitarians in hotspots such as Gaza, Haiti, and Libya, on why it’s essential to help those in chronic conflict zones to become more resil
PODCAST: Humanitarian Leadership Stories – Principles
For veteran UN Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza, holding the line on impartiality is key in emergencies. And he should know, having served as the Organization’s top relief official in Damascus, Syria.
Hear Imran’s story in episode five of Humanitarian Leadership Stories, a mini-series produced in collaboration with the UN Humanitarian Office, OCHA, which also includes fascinating insights fr
PODCAST: Humanitarian Leadership Stories – Integrity
In episode four of Humanitarian Leadership Stories, a mini-series produced in collaboration with the UN Humanitarian Office, OCHA, we hear how tough discussions with warring sides are part and parcel of being a top UN relief coordinator.
This podcast also takes us to Nigeria, South Sudan, Jordan and Lebanon, where we’ll find out how the work of the UN’s relief chiefs is driven by putting vulner
PODCAST: Humanitarian Leadership Stories – Restoring hope
In the third episode of Humanitarian Leadership Stories, our mini-series produced in collaboration with the UN Humanitarian Office, OCHA, Daniel Johnson from UN News speaks to frontline relief veteran Najat Rochdi, about restoring hope to people in crisis.
It’s what Najat did, when she helped women facing gender-based violence in Lebanon, where she was the UN’s Humanitarian and Resident Coordin
PODCAST: Humanitarian Leadership Stories – Standing up for people in crisis
In the second episode of Humanitarian Leadership Stories, our co-production with OCHA, the UN Humanitarian Office, top UN relief officials explain how the key humanitarian principle of putting people in crisis first – and remaining accountable to them – guides their work.
Daniel Johnson hears how UN humanitarian coordinators go about their work, taking calculated risks where armed groups are co
PODCAST: Humanitarian Leadership Stories - Eritrea
What makes a good aid chief? That’s the question we set out to answer in Humanitarian Leadership Stories, a mini-series produced in collaboration with the UN Humanitarian Office, OCHA.
Helping people in emergencies is part and parcel of being a humanitarian, but there’s a lot more to helping vulnerable communities than you might think, as we’ll hear, in this compelling podcast series.
In thi
PODCAST: The future of water
Unless drastic changes are made the future of water looks bleak.
On World Meteorological Day, held on 23 March, Conor Lennon spoke to Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation, Lindsey Blodgétt, Former President of the World Youth Parliament for Water, and Maarten van Aalst, Director of the Dutch Royal Meteorological Institute, about the changes that societies n
PODCAST: Keeping cross-border water cooperation flowing
Water doesn’t respect borders, and 153 countries share basins. Water scarcity is increasing, and so is the potential for conflict: “Water for Cooperation” is one of the key themes of this year’s conference.
On this week’s episode Conor Lennon from UN News speaks to Suleiman Adamu, Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Water Resources, and Sonja Köppel, the Secretary to the UN Water Convention.
The
PODCAST: Working together to halt the global water crisis
This year’s UN World Water Development Report warned of a global water crisis, unless international cooperation is rapidly stepped up.
On this week’s episode of The Lid Is On, recorded the day after the release of the study on 21 March, Conor Lennon speaks to Richard Connor, the editor-in-chief of the report, Kristin Meyer from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and Neil Dhot, f
PODCAST : Resurgence of The Gambia – Support for job creators
In the last of our mini-series recorded in The Gambia, we look at the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs, and how the UN is helping new companies to grow, bringing much-needed jobs to rural areas.
Conor Lennon meets Musa Darbo, who quit his well-paying job in the US to return home and start a rice business, in order to employ struggling smallholder farmers, and end The Gambia’s depe
PODCAST: Resurgence of The Gambia – Bringing it all back home
Gambia has the highest per capita emigration rate of any African nation; between 2015 and 2020 over 33,000 Gambians, mainly young men, left home in search of better opportunities in Europe, despite the low likelihood of success, and significant dangers.
Since the end of the dictatorship in 2017, thousands of migrants have returned, and the UN is helping them to find jobs and start small busines
PODCAST: Resurgence of The Gambia – Meeting the climate challenge
When it comes to climate action, The Gambia can proudly lay claim to being the first country to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreements.
But, like all developing countries, its people are suffering disproportionately from the effects of the climate crisis, particularly more unpredictable rainfall, and flooding.
In episode three of our mini-series recorded in The Gambia,
PODCAST: Resurgence of The Gambia – Tackling period poverty
Many women and girls in The Gambia are affected by “period poverty”, meaning that they are unable to afford menstrual products, which puts them at risk of infection, and discourages them from attending school.
In the second of our Lid Is On episodes recorded in The Gambia, one of the world’s least developed countries, Conor Lennon from UN News heads to Basse, in the rural Upper River Region, t
PODCAST: Resurgence of The Gambia – A small country with big ambitions
The Gambia, the smallest country on the African mainland, and one of the least developed countries in the world, has been going through a transition to full democracy since 2017, the end of a two-decade long dictatorship.
In the first episode of a mini-series recorded in The Gambia, Conor Lennon talks to Niania Dabo-Tourey, the country head of the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF, one of seve
PODCAST: Top UN official in Ukraine reflects on a year of war and suffering
It’s been a year since Russian forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine, the beginning of a conflict that led to the displacement of more than 14 million Ukrainians, and around 40 per cent of the population in need of humanitarian aid.
Several months into the fighting, Denise Brown took up her position as Resident Coordinator, the most senior UN official in Ukraine. She told Conor Lennon from UN New
PODCAST: The link between migration, the climate crisis, and human rights
It is becoming increasingly clear that the climate crisis is having a major impact on migration flows, with millions forced to move from their homes as a result of a disaster, or because they have been affected by slower-moving environmental changes that leave their homes uninhabitable, such as desertification or sea-level rises.
On today’s show, Conor Lennon speaks to Felipe González Morales,
PODCAST: Meet the Special Rapporteurs, independent advocates for human rights
Appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, but independent, unpaid, and free to speak their minds, Special Rapporteurs occupy a curious space within the UN System.
To find out more about what it’s like to be a Special Rapporteur, and why they are willing to give up their time to cover what are, often, difficult situations, Conor Lennon invited three of them – Nazila Ghanea, Morris Tidball-Binz,
PODCAST: Filling the 4 trillion dollar development gap
$4.3 trillion: that’s the estimated cost of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a blueprint for a fairer future, covering all of the big issues facing the world, from eradicating poverty and hunger, to building societies free from fear and violence, and taking urgent action on climate change.
To help bridge that funding gap, UN chief António Guterres set up the Global Investors fo
PODCAST: A UN wish come true
Californian teenager Kale Ilac’s dream is to become a diplomat. The 16-year-old, who is battling cancer, is hopefully on the way, thanks to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, who arranged for Kale and his family to take a special tour of the UN in January, meeting senior diplomats and UN officials.
On this episode of The Lid Is On, we follow Kale on his visit, which has inspired him to lead a life in
PODCAST: Making the news at the UN
UN News publishes stories in 10 languages, with the aim of ensuring that as many people as possible understand the impact of the United Nations, and in order to provide a reliable news source on a variety of platforms.
On today’s show, Conor Lennon speaks to Mita Hosali, who is in overall charge of the UN’s news output, as Deputy Director of the News and Media Division at the UN. They discuss t
PODCAST: Getting the word out – letting the world know how the UN is making a difference
On today’s episode of The Lid is On, Conor speaks to Melissa Fleming, the head of Global Communications at the United Nations, and host of award-winning podcast series, Awake at Night.
They discuss the growing dangers of online disinformation, the global impact of the Ukraine war, and the importance of communicating effectively about the positive difference the UN makes to millions around the w
PODCAST: A New Year, Palais des Nations special, with Daniel Johnson
In our first Lid Is On of 2023, we take a trip to Geneva, to meet our Palais des Nations correspondent Daniel Johnson, who gives us a virtual visit of the venerable building and its surroundings, and looks back at some of his favourite moments from 2022, in particular the interview that earned him a hug (a rare occurrence for journalists)!
Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa
PODCAST: A multilingual look back at 2022!
For the last Lid Is On of the year, Conor Lennon invited some of his colleagues for a festive episode, to find out a bit more about them (discovering that one has even sung at Carnegie Hall), and how they wade through reports, studies and data, to tease out stories that demonstrate the real difference the UN makes to people’s lives every day.
May Yaccoub, head of the Arabic Unit, Matt Wells, he
PODCAST: Seeking Peace episode 5
This is the fifth and final episode of Seeking Peace, a podcast from the Department of Peace Operations.
In this episode, Melanne Verveer from Georgetown University’s Institute for Women Peace and Security, examines the challenges and complex realities that women uniformed peacekeepers face.
We will hear from General Maureen O’Brien, who serves as the Deputy Chief of Military affairs at the
PODCAST: Seeking Peace episode 4
Today, we bring you the fourth episode of Seeking Peace, a podcast from the UN Department of Peace Operations.
Melanne Verveer from Georgetown University’s Institute for Women Peace and Security, highlights the extraordinary women whose work defies expectations of traditional gender roles in peacekeeping.
Interviewees on today’s episode are Téné Maimouna Zoungrana leads the rapid interventi
PODCAST: Seeking Peace episode 3
In Episode 3 of Seeking Peace, a podcast from the UN Department of Peace Operations, Melanne Verveer from Georgetown University’s Institute for Women Peace and Security, focuses on women’s role in bringing about peace through politics.
We will hear from Mireille Laurier Affa'A Mindzie, the Senior Gender Advisor for the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Beat
PODCAST: Seeking Peace episode 2
In Episode 2 of Seeking Peace, a podcast from the Department of Peace Operations, Melanne Verveer from Georgetown University’s Institute for Women Peace and Security explores women’s roles in peace negotiations and the implementation of peace agreements.
The interviewees in this episode are the UN Assistant Secretary General for Africa, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Maïga Aziza from Mali, the first-e
PODCAST: Seeking Peace episode 1
This week, The Lid Is On has partnered with the UN Department of Peace Operations, to bring you five episodes from the latest season of their podcast, Seeking Peace.
In this episode, Melanne Verveer, the Executive Director of the Georgetown University's Institute for Women Peace and Security, and former United States Ambassador for Global Women's Issues, introduces inspiring acti
A new series from UN Podcasts: UNiting Against Hate
On this week’s The Lid Is On, we’re introducing you to UNiting Against Hate, a new series from UN Podcasts.
Katy Dartford talks to those who have encountered hate speech first-hand, as well as activists and experts from around the world about how they are trying to counter it.
In this episode, she has an in-depth conversation with two organizations who monitor hate speech, and discusses with
PODCAST: The power of dialogue to bring peace
The world has never been more inter-connected, but this has made it easier than ever before to spread disinformation, hate speech, and information that divides, and causes fear and mistrust.
Intercultural dialogue has been described as an antidote to rejection and violence. But can it really make a difference in a world where toxic language and conflict make headlines, generate more clicks and,
COP27 EXTRA BONUS PODCAST: Heart to Hart
We though it was all over…it is now, we promise! We gave you the instant reaction to the final COP27 plenary session on what we though was the last podcast on the event, but then we decided to get an expert perspective from Selwin Hart, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Climate, and friend of the podcast.
Conor got to sit down with Selwin, and find out more about the progress that w
A new series from UN Podcasts: amplifyHER
On this week's episode we're letting a new UN podcast take over! It's called amplifyHER, and it's a tribute to some of the best women artists, from around the world, working today.
Over the next 10 weeks, inspiring women musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, talk to us from their homes and studios, about their challenges as women in a male-dominated industry, overcom
COP27 BONUS PODCAST: Early like Sunday morning
COP27 officially ended on Friday, but no agreement was reached when Conor and Laura recorded their last podcast in Sharm El-Sheikh.
But, despite the gloomy predictions of no deal, the COP27 outcome document was finally agreed, on Sunday morning.
Back home in New York after a 25-hour journey, Conor goes solo, to pull together a final COP episode of The Lid Is On. You can find all the details
COP27 PODCAST: Delayed ratification
It’s officially the last day of COP27, and the UN podcast team have their bags packed, ready to return home.
However, today did not see an outcome document agreed, and negotiating positions are reportedly still far apart on many issues.
Laura and Conor report on the current state of play, and run through some of the main takeaways from this COP, before waving goodbye to Egypt.
Music: Wit
COP27 PODCAST: Exit ramps off the climate hell highway
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is back in Sharm El-Sheikh, in an attempt to nudge countries towards resolving their differences on contentious climate issues, and reaching an acceptable outcome to COP27. He boiled down the topics to three main areas: loss and damage, the emissions gap, and climate finance.
Conor and Laura were on hand in Egypt to make sense of the negotiations, and the r
COP27 PODCAST: From the Ocean to the Amazon – biodiversity in crisis
With just a couple of days to go at COP27, agreement on an agreed text – committing countries to move forward on measures to tackle the climate crisis – seems a long way off.
On today’s episode of The Lid Is On, Laura and Conor pick over some of the main areas of contention, and report on the highlights from Biodiversity Day.
Guests include the British singer Ellie Goulding, who is calling f
COP27 PODCAST: Gas lingers on energy day
The UN is leading calls for an end to fossil fuel use, but lobbying for gas has been a feature of this African COP, and there have been warnings that new gas and other fossil fuel projects are underway in many developing countries.
On Energy Day, there were stark reminders of the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also signs that the world is moving in the right direction when
