UN Weekly a podcast from UN News, brings together journalists, experts, senior officials and influencers, for an engaging and entertaining guide to the fascinating, little-known and often misunderstood world of the United Nations.
In each episode, we break down one of the big global stories with a UN angle, share reports from our correspondents in the field, and take an in-depth look at a key topic.
UN Weekly is available every Friday on the UN News Audio Hub, and the video version comes out on Saturdays, on UN WebTV and the United Nations YouTube channel.
You can also find the show on major podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, and YouTube Music.
Do you have any questions or suggestions for the show? Get in touch via email: unweekly@un.org
Nelson Mandela and the fight to end poverty
Nelson Mandela, the first president of South Africa after apartheid, has a claim to being the most highly respected African leader in modern history.
Human rights are for all, but sexual identity can still be a death sentence
The UN Charter says that Member States must guarantee the rights of all people, regardless of history, culture or social norms. However, around the world, people continue to face discrimination, criminalization and violence purely because of their sexual orientation and identity.
Back to the future?
What kind of future do we all want? And how will we get it? It’s a big question, and the UN is convening a major event this year to try to find some answers.
Cocaine and cannabis use on the rise: what are the consequences?
Cannabis legalization has led to increased use and a drop in drug-related convictions, but there have been negative health consequences.
In a fractured world, how is the UN supporting democracy?
2024 is a bumper year for elections, affecting around two billion voters. However, elections don’t necessarily equate to democracy, and the extent to which they actually affect the way a country is run, and by whom, can vary dramatically, depending on where they’re held.
The nuclear option
In 2023, for the first time ever, nuclear power was mentioned as one of the low carbon energy options the world needs to turn to, if we are to lower carbon emissions and limit global temperature rises.
Climate Crunch Time
On this week’s episode Conor Lennon and Anton Uspenskiy from UN News discuss the UN Secretary-General’s hard-hitting climate speech, in which he called for a ban on fossil fuel advertising and promotion; the UN’s continued support for millions of desperate people in Afghanistan; how AI is being u
Piping hot power
‘Keep it in the ground!' is the rallying cry, when it comes to fossil fuels. However, in Dominica there is a clean, renewable, subterranean resource that the government is very keen to get out of the ground: heat.
Net-zero, lowered flags, and the enduring power of tea
On this week’s show, Conor is joined by UN News colleague Heyi Zou and China Global TV reporter Dezhi Xu, for an animated discussion about the lowering of UN flags, China’s role in the transition to a net-zero economy and, in the week of the International Day of Tea, the merits of a good cuppa,
UN Weekly: Bringing the work of the United Nations to life
Welcome to UN Weekly, a podcast from UN News.
We will bring together journalists, experts, senior officials and influencers, for an engaging and entertaining guide to the fascinating, little-known and often misunderstood world of the United Nations.
Plastic not fantastic
On the first episode of UN Weekly, Conor Lennon and Myra Lopes focus on the effect of the climate crisis on small island developing States (SIDS), which are struggling to cope with hurricanes, flooding and wildfires.