Beyond Superpowers: Global “Swing States” and the Need for UN Reform

The United Nations, founded in the aftermath of history’s most destructive war, is the world’s premier forum for international diplomacy. But is the UN a vestige of a bygone era? This year’s session of the UN General Assembly, which today closes general debate, has been the site of much frustration over the war in Ukraine, the stalled progress of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the lack of representation for the global south.   

The world has changed since the end of World War II, and as this episode’s guest, Suzanne Nossel, argues, so too must the UN. Currently CEO of PEN America, Suzanne served in the UN under both the Clinton and Obama administrations as Deputy to the US Ambassador for UN Management and Reform and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations. Suzanne joins the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah to reimagine the UN to better address these challenges and others.

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This podcast episode includes references to the Eurasia Group Foundation, now known as the Institute for Global Affairs.