Multilateralism UNpacked

About Multilateralism UNpacked

Multilateralism UNpacked is produced by the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research. Each month, we take a deep dive into a key challenge facing the United Nations and its Member States; and offer evidence-based solutions that can be adopted in response to help avert crisis and strengthen the multilateral system.

Publisher

United Nations University Centre for Policy Research

Category

government · science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Jun 2025

Latest episode

27 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

15 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Oct 2026

   The Future of UN Peace Operations, Part 3 – “A New Review, A New Vision?”

   UNU-CPR Senior Fellow and RMIT Professor of Global Security Charles Hunt unpacks the Secretary-General’s review on the future of all forms of UN peace operations, requested by Member States in the Pact for the Future. Hunt discusses the review’s main recommendations: more political missions, a renewed emphasis on peacemaking, more networked, agile and adaptive operations, and greater attention to consent and cooperation from host countries. He argues that consent is not a binary condition but must be continually maintained across an “ecosystem” of actors, including civil society and local communities, and that compacts should be a process rather than a product. Looking ahead, Hunt considers whether the era of large multidimensional missions has passed, while cautioning against treating it as a definitive end point. He calls on Member States and the next Secretary-General to treat the review as a floor, not a ceiling. For more: At the Challenges Annual Forum 2026, Charles Hunt presented his research on host country consent in UN peace operations. Watch the recording on UN WebTV (https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1e/k1edn7n4l8) [starting at 1:25:19]. Listen to Multilateralism Unpacked, Episode 12: The Future of UN Peace Operations, Part 1 – Peace Operations at an Inflection Point (https://unu.edu/cpr/multimedia/episode-12-future-un-peace-operations-part-1-peace-operations-inflection-point), which examines the financial and geopolitical pressures challenging the current model. Listen to Multilateralism Unpacked, Episode 14: The Future of UN Peace Operations, Part 2 – Peace Operations Under Pressure in South Sudan (https://unu.edu/cpr/multimedia/episode-14-future-un-peace-operations-part-2-peace-operations-under-pressure-south), which explores how financial cuts are affecting UN peace operations on the ground. Listen to Multilateralism UNpacked on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/multilateralism-unpacked/id1821753954), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/08JS4bCOtoy0RBN5pOVLjj?si=6e2a0c3e81244b28), Amazon Music (https://music.amazon.com.br/podcasts/024bf05c-87e8-4508-a1ba-dfc48fb45e53/multilateralism-unpacked) and Podcast Index (https://podcastindex.org/podcast/7378758?episode=38730116825).

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   The Future of UN Peace Operations, Part 2 – Peace Operations Under Pressure in South Sudan

   In this episode of Multilateralism Unpacked, UNU-CPR Research Officer Catharina Nickel (https://unu.edu/cpr/about/expert/catharina-nickel) discusses how financial cuts are affecting UN peace operations on the ground, drawing on recent field research in South Sudan. The conversation explores how funding reductions are translating into the closure of field sites, reduced personnel and patrols, and a smaller operational presence. Nickel considers what these changes mean for civilian protection and local communities, as well as for engagement with political and security actors. The episode also examines the cross-border dimensions of conflict in South Sudan, including the spillover effects of the war in Sudan. Nickel discusses how displacement, the movement of armed actors and the flow of arms across the Sudan-South Sudan border are compounding existing political and security challenges. The conversation considers how UN peace operations can respond to these challenges through political engagement, regional coordination and maintaining a physical presence on the ground, as well as what continued financial pressures could mean for their future effectiveness and credibility. UNU-CPR’s research in South Sudan is made possible through the UK-funded Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) (https://unu.edu/cpr/project/cross-border-conflict-evidence-policy-and-trends-xcept) programme, For more: Learn more about UNU-CPR’s XCEPT (https://unu.edu/cpr/project/cross-border-conflict-evidence-policy-and-trends-xcept)-funded research, which examines how sanctions and peace operations can more effectively address violence in borderlands and cross-border conflict. For a broader perspective on the pressures facing UN peace operations, listen to Multilateralism Unpacked, Episode 12: The Future of UN Peace Operations, Part 1 – Peace Operations at an Inflection Point (https://unu.edu/cpr/multimedia/episode-12-future-un-peace-operations-part-1-peace-operations-inflection-point), which examines financial strain, geopolitical fragmentation and the changing global role of UN peace operations. Read Conflict Economies and Peace Operations (https://unu.edu/publication/conflict-economies-and-peace-operations), which examines conflict economies in eastern DRC – another region impacted by cross-border conflict drivers. Read Defaulting into Transition: How Financial Cuts are Affecting Peacekeeping Realities (https://unu.edu/cpr/blog-post/defaulting-transition-how-financial-cuts-are-affecting-peacekeeping-realities), which examines how financial cuts are reducing UNMISS’ presence and operational capacity in South Sudan, and the implications for civilian protection and peacekeeping transitions. Read Essential Peacekeeping for a Divided World (https://unu.edu/cpr/report/essential-peacekeeping-divided-world), which explores how more focused, limited peace operations could offer a viable model as geopolitical tensions rise and political and financial support declines.

3. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Rethinking International Tax Cooperation

   In this episode of Multilateralism UNpacked, UNU-CPR Senior Fellow and Professor of Fiscal Law at the University of Nairobi, Attiya Waris (https://unu.edu/cpr/about/attiya-waris), discusses the ongoing negotiations on a United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation. Recorded in August during the negotiations, the conversation explores what a new international tax framework could mean for inequality, fiscal space and development finance. Drawing on her role as United Nations Independent Expert on foreign debt, international financial obligations and human rights, Professor Waris discusses taxing rights, transfer pricing and access to tax information, as well as the links between taxation, sovereign debt and development finance. Professor Waris also discusses how conventional measures of countries’ economic strength can overlook assets such as renewable energy potential and productive populations, and why these should be considered alongside GDP when assessing fiscal space. Further reading: Hidden Debts, Missing Assets: What the Spring Meetings Forgot (https://unu.edu/cpr/blog-post/hidden-debts-missing-assets-what-spring-meetings-forgot) Action for a Healthier Global Tax System (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/407477485_Action_for_a_healthier_global_tax_system ) A Human Rights Approach as the Basis for a Global Fiscal Architecture (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387189369_A_human_rights_economy_approach_as_the_basis_for_a_global_fiscal_architecture ) www.attiyawaris.org (https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.attiyawaris.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdurrell%40unu.edu%7C3e3c311d518941fcca2208df0a4b97ea%7Cb9fc8add5f9141cca6c8f00214e01d4b%7C0%7C0%7C639240995462090337%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C80000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=toOOT%2FD8SbKLhUzD0bg22TcEClVvOAXlsPVLJ0ZAIiI%3D&reserved=0)

4. 

   9 Jun 2026

   The Future of UN Peace Operations, Part 1 – Peace Operations at an Inflection Point

   In this episode, UNU-CPR’s Head of Geneva Office Dr. Adam Day joins Dr. Jack Durrell to discuss the future of UN peace operations at a moment of financial strain, geopolitical fragmentation and declining confidence in peacekeeping effectiveness. The conversation explores how a worsening liquidity crisis is already driving cuts to missions on the ground, and what this means for civilian protection and operational capacity. It also examines how states are increasingly turning to bilateral and alternative arrangements outside the UN system. Looking ahead, Dr. Day reflects on whether current reforms such as UN80 represent genuine strategic change or primarily an effort to manage financial contraction, and considers what emerging “lighter” and more bespoke models of peace operations could mean for the UN’s role in conflict settings. The episode also highlights key missions to watch, including the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the absence of a robust UN presence in Sudan.

5. 

   20 Apr 2026

   Misinformation, Disinformation and the Future of Information Integrity

   In this episode, UNU-CPR Director Dr. David Pasarelli (https://unu.edu/cpr/about/expert/david-passarelli) speaks with Dr. Simon Chesterman, Vice Provost and David Marshall Professor at the National University of Singapore, about misinformation and disinformation in a world of information abundance. The conversation explores why greater access to information has not translated into greater trust or understanding, and why false content often spreads more widely than factual information. It also distinguishes between misinformation, disinformation and malformation, with attention to intent. They discuss the implications for the United Nations and multilateral cooperation, including how misinformation can erode trust in international institutions and complicate collective responses to global challenges, and the UN’s role in supporting information integrity across States and platforms. The discussion further examines how algorithmic systems shape information flows, and why responses must involve States, platforms and individuals, alongside reflections on information overload and generative AI. For more information: Simon Chesterman, The Oxford Handbook of Misinformation and Disinformation (forthcoming) Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, Eduardo Albrecht and Rebecca Brubaker, Disinformation and Peacebuilding in Sub-Saharan Africa: https://unu.edu/publication/disinformation-and-peacebuilding-sub-saharan-africa Watch this episode of Multilateralism UNpacked on Youtube: https://youtu.be/PZhxXBVFEJY

6. 

   6 Apr 2026

   Exit from International Organizations – Rethinking State Withdrawal

   In this episode, UNU-CPR Director Dr. David Pasarelli is joined by Professor Inken von Borzyskowski about her award-winning book, Exit from International Organizations (co-authored with Professor Felicity Vabulas, Cambridge University Press, 2025). Winner of the Chadwick Alger Prize and shortlisted by the British International Studies Association, the book explores why states leave or are suspended from international organizations – a phenomenon often misunderstood as a recent surge driven by nationalism or populism. The discussion highlights that, despite headlines, exit is rarely terminal. About half of withdrawing states and 80% of suspended states eventually return, demonstrating the resilience of international institutions and the enduring investment of states in multilateralism. For more information: Access Professor von Borzyskowski's research on state exit from international organizations: https://unu.edu/cpr/brief/why-do-countries-walk-away-international-organizations-and-what-do-current-breakups-mean

7. 

   10 Mar 2026

   Meeting the Needs of Future Generations, Part 1 – Intergenerational Equity Explained

   In this episode of Multilateralism UNpacked, UNU-CPR’s Daouia Chalali welcomes Professor Edith Brown Weiss of Georgetown University, one of the leading architects of the concept of intergenerational equity in international environmental law. Their conversation revisits the ideas behind her landmark book In Fairness to Future Generations (https://brill.com/display/title/13918?language=en&srsltid=AfmBOoqfo60PkcppKsBDghXrrpnMHm-OFatLV0ZjEV1sCoBPngAfRo9l) and explores how the principle of intergenerational equity has evolved over the past decades, and why considering the rights and wellbeing of future generations is increasingly urgent. Drawing on legal cases, international agreements and national policies, Professor Brown Weiss reflects on how courts, governments and international institutions are beginning to translate this principle into practice and what more can be done to ensure that today’s decisions do not undermine the world inherited by future generations. Together, they discuss how the UN system, policymakers and civil society can help build an “ecosystem for future generations,” embedding long-term thinking into global governance at a critical moment for people and the planet. For more information: Access new research on future generations (https://unu.edu/cpr/future-generations) Access the Future Generations Platform (https://www.futuregenerations.online/dashboard)

8. 

   4 Feb 2026

   Governing AI for Humanity: Reflections on Risks, Opportunities and Global Cooperation

   Episode 8 of Multilateralism UNpacked examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping global governance at a moment when the technology is advancing faster than multilateral systems can adapt. AI is reshaping information environments, influencing conflict dynamics, transforming labour markets, and accelerating both opportunities and risks for sustainable development. For the United Nations – an institution mandated to maintain peace and security, protect human rights and advance global development – AI presents both a major governance challenge and an important test of international cooperation. To examine these issues, Dr. Jack Durrell, Head of Communications at UNU-CPR, speaks with Dr. Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, whose research at UNU-CPR has helped shape global debates on AI governance. Her work has ranged from analysing AI’s implications for peace and conflict to co-developing the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs and contributing to emerging thinking on scientific consensus mechanisms and the International Scientific Panel on AI. Most recently, she co authored the ITU’s AI for Good flagship report, Unlocking AI’s Potential to Serve Humanity (https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Funu.edu%2Fcpr%2Freport%2Funlocking-ais-potential-serve-humanity-robotics-geospatial-ai-and-communications&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cdurrell%40unu.edu%7C54f352390124472a0fe508de63fe7bb1%7Cb9fc8add5f9141cca6c8f00214e01d4b%7C0%7C0%7C639058141995487997%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=4%2B0hP7nbajtebeMQva3eEzNdUzbsIu3m2Q0Y6xG7%2Bv8%3D&amp;reserved=0), which outlines practical pathways for deploying AI in support of human and planetary well being. As Eleonore now transitions into a senior public leadership role as New York State’s Chief AI Officer, she reflects on her work at UNU CPR and considers: How AI is challenging existing UN capacities and processes; What role the UN can realistically play in global AI governance; How that role is evolving as Member States, companies and civil society shape the agenda; And where the most significant future risks and opportunities are likely to emerge. For more information: Unlocking AI's Potential to Serve Humanity: https://unu.edu/cpr/report/unlocking-ais-potential-serve-humanity-robotics-geospatial-ai-and-communications Four Ways the International Scientific Panel on AI Should Approach AI Risks: https://theglobalobservatory.org/2025/09/how-international-scientific-panel-on-ai-should-approach-risk/ Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs: https://unu.edu/cpr/news/hamburg-declaration-responsible-ai-sdgs Foundation of Scientific Consensus for International Cooperation: https://unu.edu/cpr/brief/foundations-scientific-consensus-international-cooperation Disinformation and Peacebuilding in Sub-Saharan Africa: https://unu.edu/publication/disinformation-and-peacebuilding-sub-saharan-africa <span class="ql-ui"...

9. 

   5 Dec 2025

   COP 30: A Turnaround COP or a Missed Opportunity?

   In this episode of Multilateralism Unpacked, UNU-CPR’s Head of Communications, Jack Durrell, speaks with Senior Researcher Michael Franczak, sharing insights from his experience at COP30 in Belém. Their conversation explores why COP 30 felt substantially different from previous summits – marked by the acknowledgement of a 1.5°C overshoot, shrinking aid budgets and Europe’s energy and security pressures. While meaningful advances emerged on trade, adaptation and subnational leadership, the absence of new finance pledges and stalled fossil fuel phase-out language underscored the limits of the process. Together, they reflect on the mixed outcomes, the obstacles holding back global climate ambition and the opportunities that could still drive momentum forward.

10. 

    27 Oct 2025

    AI, War and International Humanitarian Law

    In this episode of Multilateralism Unpacked, Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, Head of Anticipatory Action and Innovation at UNU-CPR, speaks with Laurent Gisel, Head of the Arms and Conduct of Hostilities Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), about one of the most urgent challenges in global governance: the rise of AI-enabled autonomous weapons. Military investment in AI is accelerating, and systems capable of independently selecting and attacking targets are already being developed. Gisel explains how the use of these weapons can violate the principles of the Geneva Conventions. Drawing on a recent ICRC report to the UN Secretary-General, as well as the ongoing activities of the UN’s First Committee, which deals with disarmament and international security, the podcast explores the various military uses of AI and considers the urgent need for a new international treaty on lethal autonomous weapons systems. Related information: The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols: https://www.icrc.org/en/law-and-policy/geneva-conventions-and-their-commentaries (https://www.icrc.org/en/law-and-policy/geneva-conventions-and-their-commentaries) ICRC Submission to the UN Secretary-General on Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain: https://www.icrc.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/ICRC_Report_Submission_to_UNSG_on_AI_in_military_domain.pdf (https://www.icrc.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/ICRC_Report_Submission_to_UNSG_on_AI_in_military_domain.pdf) United Nations Resolution 78/241 on lethal autonomous weapons: https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/78/241 (https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/78/241)

11. 

    2 Oct 2025

    Exploring the UN’s Role in the Global Governance of AI

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly become one of the most transformative technologies of our time. From reshaping industries and labour markets to influencing education, healthcare and security, AI is increasingly embedded in every part of our societies. Although there is increasing convergence on the risks and opportunities associated with AI, policy solutions are diverse and fragmented, with standards, sectoral regulations and strategies varying from country to country. In response, the United Nations has provided a platform for global dialogue and scientific consensus on AI, and recently, during this year’s 80th General Assembly, Member States launched both the International Scientific Panel (ISP) on AI , designed to build a common, evidence-based understanding of the technology, and the Global Dialogues on AI Governance, bringing together governments, civil society, industry and academia to exchange perspectives on a regular basis. This episode of Multilateralism UNpacked explores these developments with Lucia Velasco, Head of AI Policy at the Office of the UN Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies, who spoke to Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, Head of Anticipatory Action and Innovation at UNU-CPR, about where global AI governance stands today, what the ISP and Global Dialogues mean in practice, and how AI governance may evolve in the years ahead. Suggested reading list: Global Digital Compact: https://www.un.org/global-digital-compact/sites/default/files/2024-09/Global%20Digital%20Compact%20-%20English_0.pdf. International Scientific Panel on AI: https://www.un.org/independent-international-scientific-panel-ai/en. Global Dialogues on AI Governance: https://www.un.org/global-dialogue-ai-governance/en. A Global Architecture for Artificial Intelligence: https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:9284/A_Global_Architecture_for_Artificial_Intelligence.pdf ¿Te va a sustituir un algoritmo?: El futuro del trabajo en España: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/%C2%BFTe-sustituir-algoritmo-futuro-trabajo/dp/8418895055

12. 

    22 Sept 2025

    UN80: Can the UN learn to adapt?

    As the United Nations approaches its 80th anniversary, questions about its agility and relevance have taken centre stage. In Episode 4 of Multilateralism UNpacked, UNU-CPR Director Dr. David Passarelli speaks with journalist, academic and UNU-CPR Fellow Dr. Adam McCauley about the need for international organizations to adapt and evolve in the face of deep geopolitical flux and rising scepticism toward multilateral cooperation. Drawing on lessons from organizational theory and his experience in government and academia, Dr. McCauley explores how the UN can become a learning institution, one that balances ambition with realism and reimagines coalitions, especially the role of middle powers. As the UN80 reform agenda moves ahead, this conversation lays out what’s at stake and how culture, structure and strategy must align for the UN to thrive in a new era.

13. 

    26 Aug 2025

    Running out of time? Accelerating implementation of the SDGs

    The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched ten years ago. But their implementation over the past decade has been uneven and evidence suggests we are unlikely to achieve the goals by the 2030 deadline. In episode 3 of Multilateralism UNpacked Dr. Nicole Goldin and Dr. Jack Durrell explore the factors behind this lack of progress and how we can now accelerate implementation of the SDGs. The conversation also reflects on relevant discussions at two recent UN conferences - the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development and the High-Level Political Forum – and considers what comes next for the ‘2030 agenda’. Related information: The FFD4 Outcome Document, the 'Sevilla Commitment': https://financing.desa.un.org/document/ffd4-outcome-booklet-spread (https://financing.desa.un.org/document/ffd4-outcome-booklet-spread) Sevilla Platform for Action: https://financing.desa.un.org/ffd4/sevilla-platform-action (https://financing.desa.un.org/ffd4/sevilla-platform-action) Connecting Decent Work to Sustainable Growth (Dr. Nicole Goldin's intervention at HLPF 2025): https://unu.edu/cpr/news/connecting-decent-work-sustainable-growth (https://unu.edu/cpr/news/connecting-decent-work-sustainable-growth) Multilateralism Meeting the Moment: Moving forward from FFD4: https://unu.edu/cpr/blog-post/multilateralism-meeting-moment-moving-forward-ffd4 (https://unu.edu/cpr/blog-post/multilateralism-meeting-moment-moving-forward-ffd4)

14. 

    8 Jul 2025

    Looking Ahead to the “Turnaround COP”

    Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago discusses the challenges facing climate diplomacy and Brazil’s COP30 priorities with David Passarelli in this interview episode.

15. 

    17 Jun 2025

    Doing "more with less".

    Dr. Nicole Goldin discusses with Dr. Jack Durrell the economic headwinds from the IMF and World Bank spring meetings, highlighting cooperation and innovation for development, in this interview.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

11,873

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

22

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

32

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