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From global think tank ODI, in Think Change we discuss some of the world’s most pressing global issues with a variety of experts and commentators. Find out more at odi.org

  1. 14 HR AGO

    The UN's glass ceiling – can a woman finally win the race for Secretary-General?

    Recorded at the Women Deliver conference, this episode of Think Change – produced in partnership with GWL Voices – sets out the stakes for gender equality and multilateralism at a moment of deep geopolitical strain, and asks what the race for the next UN Secretary-General reveals about both. Recent rollbacks on gender rights and climate action are not isolated. They are part of a broader political project that mobilises “traditional values” and divisive narratives to hold onto power, weaken accountability and challenge universal rights. These dynamics are playing out not only within states, but inside multilateral institutions themselves – and they are already shaping the race for the next UN Secretary-General. As the selection process begins, the question is not only who leads the UN, but what kind of leadership is politically possible. Campaigns like 1 for 8 Billion, supported by ODI Global, are calling for a more transparent, inclusive and merit-based process, and for Member States to nominate women candidates. But this is not a neutral contest. It is a deeply political one. We are already seeing how gender is being weaponised within it, with opposition to candidates framed through ideological lines, including attacks on candidates who support rights-based positions on abortion and women’s autonomy. In this episode, we explore how these dynamics are playing out and whether feminist leadership offers not just a normative vision, but a practical strategy for rebuilding legitimacy, resisting backlash and making multilateralism work in a more contested world. The video recording of this episode is now available on our website and on YouTube. Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalHelen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)Cristina Gallach, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public InformationKate Gilmore, Former UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human RightsRelated resources Inside the global backlash (Resources hub, ODI Global)Advancing gender rights at the Human Rights Council in times of backlash (Report, ODI Global)How women's movements lead demands for democracy in the face of backlash and politicised religion (Report, ODI Global)

    28 min

  2. 16 APR

    Food systems in a fractured world – who sets the rules?

    For years, food systems transformation has been guided by shared global visions, grounded in the idea that sustainable food production and consumption are essential to a resilient, healthy and equitable future. But progress has stalled – and in some places it’s even gone into reverse. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), around 673 million people faced hunger in 2024. More than 2.3 billion experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, and 2.6 billion people still cannot afford a healthy diet. As global cooperation fragments and geopolitical tensions reshape national priorities, food systems are increasingly governed less by shared global visions such as the Sustainable Development Goals, and more by power, security, trade and finance. In this episode of Think Change, senior leaders examine what this shift means for the future of food systems governance, exploring who shapes the rules, how competing political priorities are redefining cooperation, and what choices will determine resilience, equity and sustainability in the decade ahead. Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalNdidi Okonkwo Nwuneli,  President & CEO, the ONE CampaignMaryam Rezaei, Food systems lead, Research Fellow, ODI GlobalAnna Taylor, CEO, The Food FoundationRelated resources Five forces reshaping food systems in 2026 (Expert comment, ODI Global)Politics, power, and the slow march to just agrifood systems (Expert comment, ODI Global)Healthy islands and islanders: towards a new paradigm for integrating climate change, food security and nutrition in Small Island Developing States (Policy brief, ODI Global)

    32 min

  3. 2 APR

    What’s really “in it” for private investors in emerging markets?

    Mobilising private capital has become central to development finance and to the future of the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) itself. In this episode of Think Change, we unpack what private capital mobilisation actually means in practice, and why it has become such a defining measure of success. We explore the pressures facing the IFC, the changing expectations of global and institutional investors, and what’s really “in it” for the private sector as well as for development outcomes in emerging markets. Guests Sara Pantuliano, (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalAlfonso García Mora, Vice President for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group)Nazmeera Moola, Chief Commercial Officer, Private Markets at Ninety OneMartin Koehring, ODI Principal Research Fellow and Head of the Centre for Private Finance in Development

    34 min

  4. 19 MAR

    How do wars end?

    How do wars actually end, and what does it take to make peace lasting and just? What lessons has the world still not learned about how wars end? In collaboration with Conciliation Resources, this episode reflects on what past conflicts can teach us about the pathways out of war, what current wars might tell us about the limits and possibilities of peacemaking today, and how peace processes can be designed to be not only durable but also just and inclusive.  Looking ahead, we ask: in a world of increasing geopolitical tension and fragmented global governance, how might wars end in the future, and what role can civil society, diplomacy and public engagement play in making peace possible? Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalSanam Naraghi Anderlini, Founder and CEO, International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)Jonathan Cohen, Executive Director, Conciliation ResourcesClaire Hajaj, Executive Director, Inter MediateJago Salmon, Principal Policy Fellow, ODI GlobalThis episode is dedicated to Nicholas “Fink” Haysom – a close friend and an extraordinary figure in global peacebuilding. Over a lifetime of service, Haysom played a pivotal role in some of the world’s most complex conflicts, from supporting Nelson Mandela during South Africa’s democratic transition to leading UN missions and peace processes across Burundi, Sudan, Sri Lanka and beyond. He was widely respected not only for his expertise, but for his integrity, humility, and deep commitment to dialogue as a path to lasting peace. For those who knew him, his loss is deeply personal. This episode honours his legacy and the values he lived by, and reflects on the responsibility to carry that work forward.

    44 min

  5. 5 MAR

    Who’s afraid of gender equality? Inside the latest political battleground

    Across many countries, legislative strategies are increasingly being used to roll back hard-won rights related to gender and bodily autonomy. This International Women's Day, we're asking: what can be done at national and multilateral levels to resist further erosion of sexual and reproductive rights worldwide? This episode explores the political and ideological forces behind the growing politicisation of Women's Sexual Health and Reproductive rights, the weaponisation of gender issues globally. Building on new evidence on efforts to undermine safe abortion - Sierra Leone, efforts to restrict LGBTQ+ rights in Kenya, and initiatives to reverse the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia - we examine the narratives that allow these agendas to gain traction and the role our institutions play in safeguarding rights. Guests Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI Global (host)Aatif Somji, Senior Research Officer, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion ODI GlobalSatang Nabaneh, Director of Programs for the Human Rights Center at the University of Dayton, and Member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC)Maria Antonieta Alcalde Castro, Incoming Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation Related resources Navigating the politics of backlash: women's rights and repealing the FGM ban in The Gambia (Working Paper, ODI Global) Think Change episode 85: Algorithms and online misogyny – how do we fix a system built to harm women? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global) Research series: Navigating the politics of backlash to sexual & reproductive rights (Research series, ODI Global)

    37 min

  6. 19 FEB

    Can the G20 fix the global investment disconnect?

    Why is abundant global capital is not translating into stronger productive investment, and what role the G20 can play in shaping a more resilient and sustainable capital flows framework in an increasingly fragmented global economy? Global finance has demonstrated considerable resilience despite persistent economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension and worsening debt dynamics. Capital flows and investment remain central to economic performance - particularly in emerging and developing economies. Yet assets held by non-bank financial institutions have expanded rapidly, reaching an estimated US$250 trillion, around 400% of GDP in advanced economies. At the same time, real investment as a share of GDP across many emerging and advanced economies has stagnated or declined since the 2008 global financial crisis. Persistent frictions, coordination failures and mispriced risk continue to constrain capital mobilisation for productivity-enhancing investment. Closing this gap is critical for long-term growth and sustainable development. If capital is abundant, why is productive investment lagging? And in an increasingly fragmented global economy, what role can the G20 play in shaping a more resilient and sustainable capital flows framework? Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalAli Cakiroglou, Director of Emerging Markets Research, HSBCMarcello Carvalho, Former Global Chief Economist, BNP ParibasPhyllis Papadavid, Senior Research Fellow, International Economic Development Group, ODI Global Related resources Towards a G20 framework for capital flows to EMDEs: informing the UK Presidency (Expert comment, ODI Global)The case for a G20 liquidity shield amid geoeconomic fragmentation (Expert comment, ODI Global)

    29 min

  7. 5 FEB

    Beyond rearmament: what does security mean for Europe now?

    Europe is again confronting war on its continent at a moment when old assumptions and rules about security are breaking down. Alliances feel less certain, deterrence less predictable, and responsibility more contested. Military-first, state-centric models of security are dominating the debate. But this narrow view doesn't capture the overlapping risks shaping the world Europe now faces – from conflicts and humanitarian crises to climate stress, tech disruption and deepening trust between major powers. Rearmament alone isn't enough. Social cohesion, energy security, resilience and political legitimacy are just as central to what security looks like in practice. In this episode, our guests explore how security should be redefined – who bears responsibility, how risks are understood, and what must change in policies and institutions if Europe is to navigate a more complex and contested world. Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalBenedetta Berti, Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Ingeborg Denissen, Deputy Director of Security Policy, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign AffairsDora Meredith, Director, ODI Europe Related resources The security we need: rebalancing military spending for a sustainable and peaceful future (Event video recording, ODI Global)How is Ukraine redefining global security? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)Read more about ODI Europe

    28 min

  8. 22 JAN

    Trump 2.0, one year on – how are big powers and smaller states responding? Inside the Indo-Pacific power shift

    A year into Trump’s second term, guests examine how India, China, Russia and other big powers are recalibrating strategies in a shifting global order. 2026 has already been marked by significant geopolitical upheaval. US military intervention in Latin America points to a wider trend: the return of a world order shaped by hard power, where rules and international law are increasingly sidelined. The international landscape is rapidly evolving. But how are other major powers responding? How is this impacting international financial markets? This episode explores how India, China, Russia and other big powers are changing their strategies in response to this new phase of US foreign policy. Moving beyond the usual focus of what’s happening in Washington, D.C., it examines the perspectives of other key regions and how these shifts are redefining their economic interests, and defence and security agendas.  Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI GlobalH.E. Fatafehi Fakafānua, The Prime Minister of Tonga  Mr. Manish Singh, Chief Investment Officer Cross Bridge Capital Dr Rebecca Nadin, Director of Global Risks and Resilience and The Centre for Geopolitics of Global Change at ODI GlobalRelated resources Trump’s Monroe Doctrine 2.0 redefines great power competition in the Americas - now it's Beijing's move (Insight, ODI Global) The year ahead in global risks: foresight for a world in transition 2026 (Insight, ODI Global)The Centre for Geopolitics of Global Change (ODI Global) The Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (ODI Global)

    32 min
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About

From global think tank ODI, in Think Change we discuss some of the world’s most pressing global issues with a variety of experts and commentators. Find out more at odi.org

Information

  • Creator
    ODI Global
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Think Change
  • Show Website
    ODI | Think Change

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