The UN Brief

Subscriber-only episode The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and many other international human rights treaties state that the right to housing under international human rights law is the right to live in peace, security and dignity. The violation of the right to housing is often experienced by marginalized and disadvantaged groups including indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minority communities, people of color, migrants and refugees, women, single mothers, and LGBTQ+ persons. I spoke with Leilani Farha, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing and Global Director of The Shift. Her organization works with parliaments, and civil society actors on the principle that housing is a social good. We also spoke of her work with the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the aggravated housing situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and even more so now, in the Gaza Strip.

Subscriber-only episode I interviewed Bourhan Yassin, CEO of Rainforest Connection, a company that applies AI to acoustics for data insights to better inform conservation, preserve biodiversity, and protect the rainforests from illegal logging. They are currently working in 80 countries, including Brazil, where most of their work is happening. RFCx works with audio to monitor species of wild birds for instance, to analyse the sounds of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, and works with indigenous communities to help them identify illegal logging, and to catalogue species to protect biodiversity. They use satellites developed by Swarm, that operates ultra-small satellites for IOT devices, a company that was acquired by SpaceX in 2021. We spoke about their projects in Brazil and how they are funded, and how Google.org supports their work alongside other philanthropic organizations. Subscribe to hear interviews with leaders in AI, diplomats, and UN officials.

Subscriber-only episode Seeking Common Ground in a World of Rivalry The organization led by Justin Vaisse, historian and diplomat, is supported by the French government and private sector sponsors, including Microsoft. There will be panels with AI companies and how they are engaging with governments, academics, and UN officials from Africa and Europe. Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith will be speaking on using AI in the humanitarian field, and their multiple partnerships with UN agencies in the areas of advanced disaster monitoring systems, and education projects with UNICEF, including the Learning Passport, and other digital literacy programs. The Learning Passport is a Cambridge University-designed initiative launched with Microsoft’s support to ensure forcibly displaced children and young people can continue their education in their native languages, and not miss the school year due to war or civil conflicts that might take years to resolve, as they will need to temporarily settle in the host countries. Microsoft is also working with Least Developed Countries and supporting the achievement of the SDGs targets by partnering with the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Subscribe to listen to our podcasts and watch our interviews. Watch my interview with Paris Peace Forum founder Justin Vaïsse, to find out more.

Subscriber-only episode World Health Organisation in Davos 2024 Interview with Steve MacFeely, Director of Data and Analytics We spoke about the upcoming UN Statistics Commission meeting that begins on the 23rd of February, in New York. The heads of all international organizations and national statistical offices will discuss a wide range of issues, and this year health is at the top of the agenda, with a full-day dedicated to it. We also talked about the right fora to discuss data governance, trade in services, and the necessary institutional framework. Then there is the Summit of the Future in September where the UN Statistics Commission will have a role as data governance is central to the current conversation. He will be in Davos this week to speak on data governance, how it is impacting AI.

Subscriber-only episode Josef Aschbacher, European Space Agency Director-General, on COP28 and the Agreement With UNEP to Monitor Climate Change Getting things done at COP28: Watch my interview with the European Space Agency Director-General Josef Aschbacher where we do a 360 degree on climate action and ESA Interview with the ESA Director-General Josef Aschbacher Space travel is the stuff of dreams for most of us. I have dreamed of space missions since I organized a press briefing at the engineering department of Florida International University, featuring a former NASA astronaut, Dr. Bernard Harris, who came to speak to young high-school students at FIU‘s Summer program, in 2007. I was taking a break from journalism, but followed around Jose Pagliery, one of the reporters that attended the press briefing, who was then with the Miami Herald (now with The Daily Beast) as he interviewed Harris on what was like to see the Earth from space, wear a clunky space suit, and why younger generations should care. While most of us will never circumvent the Earth from space, at least in these coming decades, we nevertheless use devices everyday and trust our weather forecasters with the recommendation of whether we should wear our rain boots over the weekend, using information that is gathered by satellites. About 80% of the information we rely on comes from space satellites, including ESA and other providers. This week I interviewed the European Space Agency Director General, Josef Aschbacher, on his participation at COP28 and what is in store for 2024, from developing next generation satellites with Airbus to working with the United Nations Environment Program, to creating a coalition to address space debris when decommissioning satellites no longer operational, to pledging during COP28, alongside other heads of space agencies, to further support climate action. It was the first time that a dedicated Space Pavilion was created at a COP and the panels and meetings centered and focused on how space research can promote further understanding of global warming. Mr. Aschbacher is a scientist, and rose through the ranks at the European Space Agency, so knows the subject inside and out. We had a long conversation on the next generation of satellites, international cooperation, working alongside NASA and other space agencies, and how space technologies will help us better understand the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest ecosystem. These past days he has signed agreements to work with UNEP and the European Commission Directorate General for Climate Action, and is currently hammering out a program with the Brazilian Space Agency. We also spoke about the number of satellites in orbit (a total of 8K of which 5K are from a private sector provider, Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite company) and how to manage this increasing number, and his invitation to Elon Musk, and other heads of space agencies, to join the coalition that will pledge to address debris and to decommission satellites in a manner that will avoid further polluting space, as we try to understand our planet, our galaxy, and beyond.

Subscriber-only episode Interview with Brazilian Diplomat Camila Olsen on Promoting Brazil Abroad and Attracting FDI Interview with Camila Olsen, Head of Trade, Investment, Agriculture and Energy Section at the Brazilian Embassy in Copenhagen Today I interviewed the Brazilian diplomat Camila Olsen, head of trade investment, agriculture and energy at the Brazilian embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she oversees a portfolio of trade in agriculture, we also spoke about Foreign Direct Investment in Brazil, and how they are bringing the most relevant stakeholders to the table: academia, private and public sectors at the Embassy of Brazil and Denmark, in the division she works, which is promoting trade. We spoke about trading commodities, Brazil's competitive advantage given its climate, and how it trades with the global south as a tropical country exporter of goods that cannot be farmed, or produced anywhere else. Thank you for watching and listening to THE UN BRIEF. And don't forget to subscribe. The UN brief is a publication that reaches 12,000 plus diplomats, tech executives, EU and UN officials, and academics of International Relations every week, around the globe.

Subscriber-only episode UN Secretary General Calls for a Global AI Regulatory Agency These last couple of days have been quite busy on issues of AI and emerging tech governance at the UN and its agencies. We had the IGF meeting in Geneva with Maria Ressa and Vint Cerf, AI at the Security Council in New York, and the UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk calling also for a study on the impacts of new technologies and the possible creation of a Special Rapporteur on Tech is being floated. Become a paid subscriber to watch the interviews and podcast/and or read the transcription. Thank you for reading The UN Brief. Share, like, comment. “We need a learner’s mindset”, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on AI regulation and global governance for its impact on society and security.

Subscriber-only episode We spoke with Swiss Ambassador Benedikt Wechsler, Head of Division for Digitalisation, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, to understand this new role and its priorities for 2023.

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Subscriber-only episode I interviewed Francesca Perucci, Assistant Director, Statistics Division at the UN in New York, to speak about the UN World Data Forum. The 2023 Forum will take place in China, from 24 to 27 April, at the Hangzhou International Expo Center. Organisers are expecting government representatives, policymakers, private sector, data and statistics experts to address the data gaps in development. They will also identify data partnerships and showcase innovation in data gathering and analysis to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The event is hybrid and over 20,000 attendees have registered to participate online and 2000 in-person, from all regions of the world. This is the fourth UN World Data Forum and the first one in the Asia-Pacific region. Share The UN Brief https://theunbrief.substack.com/p/un-world-data-forum-interview-with

Subscriber-only episode We interviewed Christian Saunders, Assistant Secretary General for the Office of the Special Coordinator for Improving the UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. Mr. Saunders just came back from a visit to Colombia where he met with community leaders and UN officials based in the country. We discussed what are the main tasks of the Office of the Coordinator for Improving the UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA)and the positive changes that are happening in terms of a UN system-wide framework to address the issue. We also spoke about how a victims' centered approach is becoming standard in the training of first responders, police officers, and the judiciary systems. What are the challenges when the UN is operating in fragile states and peacekeeping forces, humanitarian operations, and development programs have staff from multiple countries and cultures that have outdated ways at looking at power asymmetries in the workplace, and do not view women as equals in the public and private spheres? He explained how he will be working with agencies in the UN system to deliver policy coordination and implementation, and how these partnerships will work in practice. Subscribe to The UN Brief https://theunbrief.substack.com/p/un-women-marks-international-day

Subscriber-only episode Discussion on AI and the Google developer who believed AI was "sentient". We were joined by Dr. Luis Lamb, Gary Marcus, and special guests to clarify the state of AI, the hype around it and who it serves, and how far we still are from AGI. This Twitter Space took place in July 2023.

Subscriber-only episode Interview with Bogolo J. Kenewendo, former Trade Minister of Botswana. She is a global economist with deep expertise in international trade and development with a particular focus on Pan-African development and a passion for accelerating digitization and innovation across the continent. As the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry in Botswana, she implemented reforms to significantly improve the ease of doing business, open up both domestic and international markets, and position the country to succeed in the global value chains as well as the digital economy. During her tenure, she was the youngest Cabinet Minister in Africa and in Botswana’s history. Kenewendo is also a vocal advocate for gender equity and the protection of children’s rights. She has received global recognition for her work, being appointed as a member of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, Senior Africa Advisor to Jack Ma Foundation and Africa Business Heroes, Jury for the FAO Africa Innovation Prize, a member of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation and group on Financing for Development.

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Subscriber-only episode UN Refugees Agency fundraiser Mark Manley on the success of the campaigns and the increase in number of private donors via their website.

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Subscriber-only episode Interview on Brazil’s Transfer of Power and Democracy I interviewed Dr. James Green, Professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Brown University. He is the author of, among many other books on the political history of the region, "We Cannot Remain Silent: Opposition to the Brazilian Military Dictatorship in the United States" and national coordinator for the Washington Brazil Office. We spoke about his books on Brazil and the Washington Brazil Office, an independent think tank that connects, supports, and carries advocacy to strengthen civil society, defend democracy and the rule of law, and protect human rights in Brazil. We also spoke about the transfer of power, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the significance of the moment in the history of the country.

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