In this episode Lynda Chinenye Iroulo, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Georgetown University in Qatar, discusses how African states actively shaped multilateral institutions. Drawing on her research in decolonial international relations and the design of regional organizations, she talks about the history behind the African Union, the African Peer Review Mechanism, and the push for common African positions at the UN.

Lynda highlights examples such as the shift from non‑intervention to the responsibility to protect, reforms in peace support operations, debates over the ICC, and ongoing calls for UN reform. She argues for a post‑colonial institutionalist lens to make African contributions visible and to rethink how global institutions are designed and implemented.

Resources: Ask a Librarian!

Acharya, A., De Lombaerde, P., Futák-Campbell, B., Iroulo, L. C., & Batista, J. P. (Eds.). (2026). Essays on Global Regionalism I: The Past, Present and Future of Regionalism Studies. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-13642-8

Where to listen to this episode 

Content   

Guest: Lynda Chinenye Iroulu, Assistant Professor, Georgetown University in Qatar https://www.qatar.georgetown.edu/faculty/lynda-chinenye-iroulo/

Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva