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 

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 been a notable backlash against the very concepts of feminism.

In this episode of The Lid Is On, Conor Lennon from UN News speaks to Laura Turquet, the deputy head of the research and data team at UN Women, and Lydia Alpizar, a Costa Rican feminist activist based in Mexico City, to find out why this renewed attack against feminism is taking place, and what it means for the decades-long fight for gender equality.

Music by Joachim Harris, all rights reserved

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 episode, we look back at the second and final week of COP29, what was achieved, and what comes next.

Music by Joachim Harris, all rights reserved

LINKS

• UN News coverage of COP29: https://news.un.org/en/events/cop29
• All the agreements reached at COP29: https://unfccc.int/documents

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 On, we explain what has been achieved so far, and why the deal gavelled through on carbon markets is important. We also find out what the UN is doing to prevent the rush for the minerals needed for the climate transition turning into a “stampede for greed.’

• Correspondents in Baku: Nazrin Babayeva and Lara Palmisano.
• Music by Joachim Harris (all rights reserved)
• UN News coverage of COP29: https://news.un.org/en/events/cop29

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 tensions.

We’ll hear from the UN’s heads of Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (and explain the difference between the two concepts), and the Director- General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who warns against “normalizing” the idea of using nuclear weapons.

• Our email: [email protected]
• Summit of the Future Explainer: A new global peace plan for ‘uniquely dangerous’ times | UN News
• UN Web TV
• GA Debate page
• SDG Media Zone
• Invisible killer: What is antimicrobial resistance? | UN News

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 over the last three decades, causing havoc in low-lying and small island developing countries, driving populations away from their homes. The leaders of some of the most affected nations speak out.

Music by Joachim Harris, all rights reserved

LINKS

• Our email: [email protected]
• High-Level Meeting on Sea Level Rise | General Assembly of the United Nations
• UN Future Lab
• UN Web TV
• What to expect at the United Nations general debate | UN News
• GA Debate page
• SDG Lounge
• SDG Media Zone

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 Presidents gather for speeches and backroom talks and deals.

Conor Lennon and Shanaé Harte from UN News break down the big issues at UN Headquarters on Wednesday’s edition of Focus on the Future.

Music by Joachim Harris. All rights reserved

LINKS

• Our email: [email protected]
• What to expect at the United Nations general debate | UN News
• GA Debate page
• Home | UN Web TV
• Summit of the Future Explainer: Improving the way we run the world…and beyond | UN News
• Pact for the Future

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 fairer?

Also, star wattage has been lighting up Headquarters. Edward Norton and Meryl Streep were among the artistic talents at HQ, advocating for the environment and Afghan women.

Music by Joachim Harris, all rights reserved

LINKS

• [email protected]
• Summit of the Future | UN News
• Summit of the Future 2024 - United Nations | United Nations
• Home | UN Web TV
• FFD4 | Financing for Sustainable Development Office (un.org)
• SDG Lounge | Summit of the future
• Summit of the Future Explainer: The push to connect a digitally divided world and counter AI threats | UN News
• ‘Irrefutable’ need for global regulation of AI: UN experts | UN News
• Summit of the Future Explainer: Time to rethink ‘outdated and ineffective’ international financial architecture | UN News

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: [email protected]

LINKS

• UN News Summit of the Future page Summit of the Future | UN News
• Summit of the Future explainer Planning ahead: 5 things to know about the UN’s landmark Summit of the Future | UN News
• Summit of the Future main site Summit of the Future 2024 - United Nations | United Nations
• SDG Lounge SDG Lounge | Summit of the future

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, and will include highlights from the GA debate, original interviews, and a colourful wrap up of the side events.

The production team welcomes any questions and suggestions: [email protected]