World's Toughest Job

About World's Toughest Job

The United Nations secretary-general has been said to hold the “most impossible job in the world.” And for just the 10th time in the organization’s history, a new candidate will soon be stepping into that role. Through immersive storytelling and voices from around the globe, World’s Toughest Job explores the challenges facing the next UN leader. Over eight episodes, we’ll examine how the secretary-general might make a difference on issues including economic turbulence, superpower rivalries, artificial intelligence, inequality, and climate change. This is about more than the one person who will step up to lead an organization. It’s an existential moment for the UN, the one place where countries have a voice and a vote. Get it wrong, and we all feel the consequences. Get it right, and it could mark a turning point for the organization … and the world. World's Toughest Job is a co-production of Foreign Policy and the UN Foundation.

Publisher

Foreign Policy

Category

news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Apr 2026

Latest episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

8 of 10 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   29 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   The Triage Game: Own, Delegate, or Drop

   Host Jasmin Baoumy interviews Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Comfort Ero, and Thant Myint-U on prioritizing the next UN Secretary-General's first 100 days.

2. 

   30 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   What Can the Next Secretary-General Do to Protect the Future?

   Host Jasmin Bauomy and Mark Malloch-Brown interview Ana Toni, Arunabha Ghosh, and Jack Ellis about how the next UN Secretary-General can transform the UN into a future-protecting body.

3. 

   23 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Can the UN Still Act as the Emergency Platform the World Needs?

   Jasmin Bauomy and Mark Malloch-Brown interview Sigrid Kaag, Martin Griffiths, and Aarathi Krishnan about the UN's role as the world's emergency platform during complex global crises.

4. 

   16 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   How Can a New Secretary-General Protect the Infrastructure We All Depend on?

   Host Jasmin Baoumy and Mark Malloch-Brown interview Sal Mercogliano, Elisabeth Braw, and Parag Khanna on how the UN Secretary-General can protect global infrastructure from emerging threats.

5. 

   9 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   As Another Economic Crisis Looms, How Should the UN Respond?

   Host Jasmin Baoumy and Mark Malloch-Brown interview Homi Kharas, Carlos Lopes, and Attiya Waris about how the UN can respond to looming economic crises and fulfill its potential for global economic governance.

6. 

   2 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Does the U.N. Have a Seat at the AI Table?

   Host Jasmin Baoumy and Mark Malloch-Brown interview Ambassador Philip Thigo, Nur Laiq, and Max Stauffer about the UN's challenge to gain influence in AI governance amidst private sector control.

7. 

   26 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Can the Next Secretary-General Deliver for the World’s Young People and Young Countries?

   Host Jasmin Baoumy and Mark Malloch-Brown interview Martin Kimani, Joe Studwell, and Saru Duckworth about the next UN Secretary-General's ability to empower global youth and developing nations.

8. 

   19 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Can the Secretary-General Still Act as a Firebreak on Peace and Security?

   Host Mark Malloch-Brown and Jasmin Baoumy interview Lynn Kuok, Ankit Panda, and Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein about the UN Secretary-General's diminishing ability to de-escalate global conflicts.

9. 

   28 Apr 2026

   What Kind of Leader Does the UN Need Right Now?

   This year, 193 member states will elect a new secretary-general of the United Nations. Over the next eight episodes, we’ll ask how the next secretary-general might actually make a difference on issues from economic turbulence and superpower rivalries to artificial intelligence, inequality, and climate change. But today, we’re starting off with the most basic question: What kind of leader does the UN need right now? Host Jasmin Baoumy is joined by Thant Myint-U, a senior fellow at the UN Foundation; Susana Malcorra, the president and co-founder of GWL Voices; and Mark Malloch-Brown, a former UN deputy secretary-general and administrator of the UN Development Programme. World’s Toughest Job is a co-production of Foreign Policy and the UN Foundation.

10. 

    20 Apr 2026

    Coming Soon: World's Toughest Job

    Between now and the end of this year, 193 member states will elect a new secretary-general of the United Nations. This person will oversee a staff of tens of thousands around the world and be asked to manage global emergencies, avert climate disaster, and end wars—all while answering to 193 bosses. What kind of leader does the world need right now? And how should candidates prepare to serve not just governments but 8 billion people? We’ll get into it all on World’s Toughest Job, coming April 28 from Foreign Policy and the UN Foundation.

Inside a recent episode

The Triage Game: Own, Delegate, or Drop

Published 29 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And those are changing literally by the week, by the days even. I have every belief that that the rate at which events are unfolding in the world today that in the four months or so when a new Secretary General takes over, circumstances could be significantly different than what we see today. […]

Who has been a guest on World's Toughest Job

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Mia Mottley
• Comfort Ero
• Thant Myint-U
• Ana Toni
• Arunabha Ghosh

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Contact World's Toughest Job

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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