UN Interviews

The potentially transformative effects of Artificial Intelligence have been brought into focus by the UN in recent days, following a major conference in Geneva: the AI For Global Good Summit.

The title of the event says it all: how is the technology being used to further UN-endorsed goals, such as reducing inequality, tackling the climate crisis, and supporting sustainable development.

But the fact that we need to promote “AI for Good” is perhaps also an acknowledgement of fears that AI can be used in ways that are not beneficial, and some speakers brought up some of the issues that need to be addressed, such as gender bias in tech, and social media addiction.

Conor Lennon from UN News asked Fred Werner, one of the founders of the Summit and the Head of Strategic Engagement at the ITU, the UN’s agency for digital technology, how the technology is being used by the UN, and whether or not it has the potential to save lives.

Restoring land, halting desertification and building resilience against drought are the focus of World Environment Day on 5 June.

Up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is already degraded, while more than three billion people worldwide are negatively impacted by drought, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

UN News’s Julia Dean in Canberra spoke with UNEP’s Coordinator for Nature Action in Asia and the Pacific, Makiko Yashiro, about the 2024 campaign and why these are such critical issues for people and planet. 

A medical epidemiologist working with the Indian Ocean Commission’s One Health initiative says that the number of ministers from small island States attending this week’s SIDS4 Conference in Antigua and Barbuda shows there is real “political commitment” to take urgent action.

Dr. Lovena Preeyadarshini Mangroo of Mauritius says although all five island nations that make up the Commission have similar problems, each country is different and must be properly understood before prevention and response plans to head of epidemics and other health risks can be put in place.

UN News’s Matt Wells caught up with her in Antigua and began by asking her to spell out what was at stake for safeguarding public health.

The developed world must increase support for small island developing States “not as an expression of generosity but of responsibility”, the UN’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction has said.

Kamal Kishore – who also heads up the Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) - was speaking to UN News in Antigua and Barbuda as the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) came to a close on Thursday.

He told Matt Wells that SIDS have always been “ahead of the curve” in trying to mitigate the impacts of increasingly extreme weather on their vulnerable countries and economies - but they can’t do it alone.

Nearly eight months of war in Gaza have devastated the enclave’s hospitals and clinics but many skilled medical professionals are still there and committed to being part of its future, a senior UN World Health Organization (WHO) official told UN News.

“There's a lot of very capable health professionals in Gaza, and they should be very much part - they should actually be the focus - of any reconstruction and any rehabilitation process,” said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in Palestine.

“A lot of them are volunteers, most of them are not receiving any salary…we have to also think about the whole human resource approach to make sure we get Palestinian health workers back in place and indeed working towards a Palestinian solution.”

In a wide-ranging interview with UN News on Wednesday, the veteran humanitarian called once again for a ceasefire to ensure the delivery of desperately needed medical supplies and explained some of the obstacles that hospitals face sourcing simple X-ray machines so that medical teams can help injured patients effectively.

He also condemned last Sunday’s Israeli airstrike on a camp for forcibly displaced people in Tal al-Sultan that left dozens dead.

They may be small islands in size – but the countries of the Caribbean are huge exporters of culture and need to remind younger generations at home of why they should feel proud of where they come from.

That’s according to Claire Nelson, a Jamaican based in the United States and founder of the advocacy-based Institute of Caribbean Studies, who’s been attending this week’s SIDS4 conference taking place on the twin island of Antigua and Barbuda.

After taking part in a side event on the role of technology-driven artistic expression in cultural tourism, she spoke to UN News’s Matt Wells, who’s in Antigua, about the importance of not allowing small island culture to be swamped by the global entertainment industry.

Major Radhika Sen, an Indian peacekeeper deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has received the 2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

Major Sen worked in the DRC from March 2023 through April 2024, where she amplified women’s voices, created safe spaces for men and women to work together, and promoted gender-sensitive peacekeeping. 

She will receive her award from UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a ceremony on Thursday; she is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive the award. 

The peacekeeper spoke to UN News’s Sachin Gaur to discuss her reaction to being honoured for her efforts, some of the initiatives that led to her recognition, and the importance of women’s participation in peacekeeping.  

How artificial intelligence (AI) can help advance efforts to build a more just and inclusive global future, for both people and the planet, is the focus of a two-day forum that opens in Geneva on Thursday.

The annual AI for Good Global Summit, organized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), brings together leading experts in the field of AI and digital solutions to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues – from emerging AI applications to governance and ethical considerations. 

The event traditionally showcases cutting-edge technology, including AI-powered robots.

Ahead of the opening, UN News’s Anton Uspensky asked Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), about how the agency is integrating AI into its work, the benefits of new technologies, and why people should not fear robots.

Small island developing States (SIDS) gathered in Antigua and Barbuda this week for the SIDS4 conference should not be afraid to stand up to companies seeking short-term profit at the long-term expense of human health and the environment – especially in the tourism sector.

That’s the message from the Seychelles-born Executive Secretary of the UN-administered Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Rolph Payet. He told UN News in Antigua that pollution – from chemical waste or cruise ships – is a “time bomb” for vulnerable countries unless they band together and take more action.

He told Matt Wells that while fighting climate change is a complex challenge for small islands, they can collaborate better to reduce pollution and promote sustainability through achievable and tangible goals such as water harvesting.

Youth activists have been meeting on the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda this weekend to ensure their voices and call for action is heard loud and clear by world leaders assembling for the SIDS4 conference.

With their personal “wall of commitment” around 80 passionate young changemakers attending the SIDS Global Children and Youth Action Summit have been committing themselves to more action and taking the long view that the climate crisis is make or break for their generation of small islanders.

UN News’s Matt Wells who’s in Antigua, spoke to organizer Ashley Lashley and one of the youngest attendees, Noah Herlaar-Hassan, about what they hope SIDS4 will achieve and why it’s vital to listen to young voices.