Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

Global Dispatches
  • 4.8 (302)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

The longest running independent international affairs podcast features in-depth interviews with policymakers, journalists and experts around the world who discuss global news, international relations, global development and key trends driving world affairs. Named by The Guardian as "a podcast to make you smarter," Global Dispatches is a podcast for people who crave a deeper understanding of international news.

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  1. 1d ago

    Ethiopia is on the Brink of Civil War

    Over the last several weeks, fighting has intensified in the country's north. A coalition of seven armed groups recently formed a new alliance, vowing to topple the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The Ethiopian government is fighting back. The conflict is also becoming increasingly regional. Sudan, Egypt, and Somalia are all connected in different ways to the shifting alliances and rivalries surrounding Ethiopia. And there is an even broader geopolitical dimension. Just two days before the new Eritrea-backed rebel alliance was announced, the United States lifted sanctions on Eritrea. Eritrea occupies a strategically important stretch of the Red Sea coast, directly across from Yemen, where Houthi attacks have threatened international shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Some analysts believe the sanctions relief gives Eritrea more room to pursue its interests in Ethiopia. Joining me today to help make sense of this complicated web of factions, alliances, and regional rivalries is Dr. Jalale Getachew Birru, East Africa Regional Expert with the conflict-monitoring nonprofit ACLED.

  2. 4d ago

    Small States and Middle Powers are suddenly Banding Together at the United Nations

    Christian Wenaweser is a legend around the United Nations. He has served as Liechtenstein's Ambassador to the United Nations since 2002 and, despite representing one of the world's smallest states, has an impressive record of diplomatic achievements. He played an instrumental role in the development of the International Criminal Court, including efforts to define the crime of aggression. He has also spearheaded several important initiatives at the General Assembly, including the creation of a mechanism to collect and preserve evidence of war crimes in Syria and the "veto initiative," under which any veto at the Security Council triggers a meeting of the General Assembly. These may sound like fairly technical diplomatic maneuvers, but they represent something much bigger: an innovative way of thinking about how small and middle powers can work together to overcome great-power gridlock and achieve substantive goals at the United Nations. We spoke one week after UNGA — a defining theme of which was the banding together of small states and middle powers in the face of intransigence from some of the world's great powers. This included the launch of a new Partnership for Multilateralism and a political declaration on frontier AI, both of which Liechtenstein joined. In our conversation, Ambassador Wenaweser explains the emerging dynamics of an alliance between middle powers and small states at the UN, what they can actually accomplish, and why they these countries are suddenly asserting themselves. Our conversation is free for all, and was produced in partnership with [Re]Group, a substack from the UN Foundation.

  3. Sep 28

    Why the Red Cross Wants a New Treaty for People Caught in Disasters.

    My guest today is Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the IFRC, which is calling on countries to adopt a new treaty that would set standards and rules of the road for helping people caught in natural disasters. We spoke on the day of the massive flash floods in Nepal, which he argues underscore the need to streamline how governments and NGOs cooperate when a sudden disaster strikes.

  4. Sep 24

    Trump at the UN — And the Biggest Moments From UNGA

    President Trump delivered his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly, kicking off a week of speeches from presidents and prime ministers from over 100 countries. In this special edition of Global Dispatches, I am joined by Anjali Dayal, my To Save Us From Hell co-host and a professor of international relations at Fordham University, and Harshani Dharmadasa, Senior Director at the UN Foundation and a veteran of the UN system. We kick off with an extended conversation about President Trump's speech to the United Nations, including what it says about the future of U.S. foreign policy and American engagement with the United Nations. We then turn to a number of the key themes emerging from speeches, meetings, and events around New York this week. We wrap up with a discussion of António Guterres's legacy at the United Nations and a speech he delivered that we all agreed encapsulates his 10-year tenure as UN Secretary-General.

  5. Sep 21

    Here's What Will Drive the Agenda at the UN This Week | With Elizabeth Cousens

    UN week is here. Hundreds of presidents and prime ministers are headed to New York this week for the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly. The presence of so many world leaders all in the same place at the same time makes UNGA the most important week of the diplomatic calendar. I'm joined today by Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation who previews some of the key speeches, stories, trends and moments that will define UNGA81. We kick off discussing the leadership transition at the top of the United Nations before turning to some of the key issues she expects to drive the diplomatic agenda — including AI, Iran and and an international order teetering on the edge.

  6. Sep 17

    My UNGA Plans (And Your General Assembly Cheat Sheet)

    Mark here! I just wanted to talk directly to you about my comings and going this UNGA and preview for you my plans for covering the UN.  Some relevent links: 50 % discounted subsciption to support the show! Support the show at full price! Contact me!

  7. Sep 14

    Haiti Is Getting More Dangerous. The U.S. Is Sending People Back Anyway.

    Haiti's security crisis is deepening as armed gangs expand their control over territory and daily life, while a new UN-backed Gang Suppression Force begins to deploy amid major questions about whether it can actually reverse the country's descent into violence. Diego Da Rin of the International Crisis Group joins me to explain how Haiti reached this point, what the gangs are doing to consolidate their power, what the new international force is supposed to accomplish, and what it means that the United States is deporting Haitians back into this increasingly dangerous environment.

  8. Sep 10 • Subscribers Only

    What to Watch at UNGA 2026: Our Guide to the Biggest Week in Global Diplomacy | To Save Us From Hell

    We are just two weeks away from the largest diplomatic gathering of the year, as hundreds of presidents and prime ministers descend on the United Nations for the opening of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. In this special episode of our sister podcast, To Save Us From Hell, Anjali and Mark preview the speeches they are most anticipating, discuss some notable attendees—and a few key snubs—and lay out why this particular UNGA matters at this particular moment in global politics. The full episode is available exclusively to our paying subscribers. We’re running our annual September discount, using the links above.

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The longest running independent international affairs podcast features in-depth interviews with policymakers, journalists and experts around the world who discuss global news, international relations, global development and key trends driving world affairs. Named by The Guardian as "a podcast to make you smarter," Global Dispatches is a podcast for people who crave a deeper understanding of international news.

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