To Save Us From Hell

Episod

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  Who’s Up, Who’s Down in the Race for UN Secretary-General? 31.07.2026 44min

  The race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General reached a pivotal moment on Thursday, when the Security Council held its first straw poll of the seven declared candidates. The results sharply narrowed the field: only four candidates now appear viable, with one clear frontrunner and three others close behind.In this special live episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I break down how the selection process works, examine the backgrounds of the four leading candidates, and analyze what the first poll reveals about who may ultimately become the next leader of the United Nations.This episode is freely available. But if you appreciate this kind of nerdy content that you can’t fine anywhere else, please become a paying subscriber. It’s the only way we can sustain To Save Us From Hell — the podcast with a cult following around United Nations! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globaldispatches.org/subscribe
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  What's Going on With the ICC? Plus: UNHCR in Trump's Crosshairs...And a rumored new Sec Gen Candidate? 23.07.2026 32min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgTo the world, Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York. To the UN, he is the mayor of its host city. So when he posted a video calling for the arrest and extradition of Benjamin Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court should he visit the UN General Assembly in September, it naturally generated some buzz around the UN.Of course, the New York mayor h…
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  A Viral Shouting Match at the UN has Turned Into a Campaign to Oust a Senior UN Official 06.07.2026 22min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgAbout ten days ago, a highly unusual scene unfolded at the United Nations: Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon and Vanessa Frazier, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, got into a public shouting match, with Danon telling Frazier, “You will be quiet now!”What began as a tense exchange over a UN report has s…
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  How the UN Views the Iran-U.S. Ceasefire 18.06.2026 19min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgCarolyn Rodrigues-Birkett could become the first United Nations Secretary-General of Indigenous descent. Guyana’s ambassador to the United Nations was nominated as a Secretary-General candidate this week, bringing the grand total of candidates to six as we enter the final stretch of the campaign before the first Security Council straw polls.Anjali knows…
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  Germany Gets Snubbed for the Security Council 04.06.2026 31min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThere was a remarkable scene at the United Nations yesterday as the President of the General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock read out the results of a hotly contested race for a Security Council seat.For months, Portugal, Austria, and Germany had been duking it out behind the scenes at the General Assembly. These three EU a…
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  Stopping Ebola Requires Multilateralism. America’s Retreat Is Making That Harder 21.05.2026 37min

  An Ebola outbreak is spiraling in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — and one of the clearest lessons from past outbreaks is that Ebola requires multilateralism: countries working together through existing institutions like the United Nations and the World Health Organization to contain the disease, support frontline health workers, share information, and prevent cross-border spread.But the Trump administration’s retreat from the global health architecture built for precisely this kind of emergency has made that task harder. In this episode of To Save Us From Hell, Mark Leon Goldberg and Anjali Dayal discuss how American attacks on the WHO and other key nodes of our global defenses against disease outbreaks have made this particular Ebola outbreak more difficult to contain than it ought to be. Later in the show, they discuss the newest entrant in the race for UN Secretary-General — and whether we can expect more candidates to throw their hats in the ring. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globaldispatches.org/subscribe
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  Inside the Flawed Push at the Security Council to Reopen Hormuz 06.05.2026 18min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe Security Council is weighing yet another U.S.-backed resolution on the Strait of Hormuz that is probably doomed from the start. In this first segment, Anjali and Mark explain the flawed logic behind this latest effort to return the Strait to its status quo ante bellum. Then, Mark discusses what he learned covering the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treat…
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  Let the Race for UN Secretary General Begin! 24.04.2026 45min

  On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the four candidates for UN Secretary-General made their case at the UN General Assembly. Across twelve hours spanning two days, they took questions from UN member states and civil society groups eager to learn more about their priorities, proclivities, and leadership styles should they become the next UN Secretary-General on January 1, 2027.It was a marathon — and my To Save Us From Hell co-host Anjali Dayal and I watched it all! In today’s episode, we tell you what we learned.To kick things off, we explain how the process for selecting a UN Secretary-General works — and how these hearings fit into it. We then break down what we heard from each of the candidates: Michelle Bachelet, Rafael Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan, and Macky Sall, bringing you the key highlights and takeaways. Consider this your curtain-raiser for a year of public campaigning and backroom dealmaking that will result in the selection of the next UN Secretary-General in the coming months.This episode is free for all and can also be found later today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.The selection of the next Secretary General is a major story in international diplomacy and I plan on covering it to the finish line — whenever that may be (but hopefully before January 1!) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globaldispatches.org/subscribe
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  The UN Has a Plan to Open Hormuz (Two of Them, Actually.) 05.04.2026 17min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe war in the Middle East has claimed its first UN casualties: three Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon were killed in under 24 hours. With Israel intent on occupying the same part of southern Lebanon that UN peacekeepers are meant to patrol, can the peacekeeping mission even continue? Meanwhile, in New York, a Secretary-General-led diplomatic effort t…
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  How the US is Justifying the Iran War to the UN 20.03.2026 27min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgOne of the fundamental precepts of the United Nations Charter is that waging war against another UN member state is simply not permitted. It’s illegal. There are, however, some narrow exceptions — and here the United States is playing a game of legal legerdemain. In the first segment of our show, we break down the formal legal justification the Trump administration invoked at the United Nations to defend its bombing campaign against Iran. Does it hold up? And more importantly, how do other countries view this retroactive justification for America and Israel’s war of choice? We also discuss a potential UN diplomatic intervention in the Strait of Hormuz that is gaining some traction, modeled on one of the UN’s successes during the Russia-Ukraine war.After the fold, and for paying subscribers, we examine why the United States is standing virtually alone at the Commission on the Status of Women, casting lone “no” votes on a host of measures intended to promote gender equality. Finally, we discuss the newest entrant in the race to replace António Guterres as secretary-general, Virginia Gamba, and how her nomination may shake up the race.https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff
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  The War in Iran Comes to the United Nations 06.03.2026 23min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgWe cover a lot of ground in this week’s episode of To Save Us From Hell! There are two new entrants to the race to succeed António Guterres as the next UN Secretary-General; Cindy McCain announced she is stepping down as head of the World Food Programme, meaning there will soon be a vacancy at the top of one of the largest UN agencies—one typically led …
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  Board of Peace v United Nations | US To Attack Iran? |Plus, Trump's Very Odd Pick to Lead Outreach to International Organizations 23.02.2026 19min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgIt was an odd juxtaposition: Trump’s inaugural Board of Peace gathered in Washington, D.C. as the U.S. appeared to be readying for war with Iran. In this week’s To Save Us From Hell episode, Mark and Anjali discuss why this Board of Peace can’t really compete with the Security Council, and what its advent says about international relations today. They t…
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  The Secretary-General Race Heats Up — And the Epstein Files Hit the UN 05.02.2026 17min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgFor the first time in history, multiple countries have jointly nominated a candidate for UN Secretary General. Earlier this week, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico endorsed Michelle Bachelet—a former president of Chile, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a survivor of brutal repression under the Pinochet regime. The move is unprecedented—and pote…
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  The Stories that Will Drive the UN Agenda in 2026 | Plus, Can Trump's "Board of Peace" Compete with the Security Council? 23.01.2026 20min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgCan Donald Trump’s new Board of Peace really compete with the Security Council? Will we even be discussing it a week or two from now, or will Trump and other world leaders simply move on? And what’s with the Board’s logo, which looks almost like a parody of the United Nations emblem?Mark and Anjali break down the newest—and perhaps strangest—entrant int…
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  Is This an Existential Moment for the United Nations? 08.01.2026 22min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Monday in response to American military operations in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife— forcing dozens of countries to publicly respond to one of the most audacious U.S. actions in recent memory. Anjali and Mark break down what unfolded in the chamber: which countries issued the st…
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  Anjali Addresses the Security Council! | Plus: Rafael Grossi Gets "The New Yorker" Profile Treatment 18.12.2025 22min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgDiscount link for full episode: https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff Your very own To Save Us From Hell co-host Anjali Dayal briefed the United Nations Security Council on Monday! She was paired with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a special meeting of the Council dedicated to examining the role of the Secretary-General and the process for selecting Antonio Guterres’s successor. Anjali gives co-host Mark Leon…
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  The Security Council Goes To Syria 04.12.2025 28min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgOn December 4, the entire United Nations Security Council made an unprecedented trip to Syria. It is hard to overstate what a significant turning point this represents — both for the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole. For thirteen long years, the civil war in Syria was the largest and most brutal conflict in the world, and one that stymied the United Nations by exposing massive geopolitical rifts between key global powers. We may now look to Gaza or Ukraine as examples of paralysis at the Security Council — but it was Syria that first broke it.Now, all fifteen members are in Damascus, in an important show of unity. Mark and Anjali break down why this trip is so significant and what role the UN can play in supporting Syria’s democratic transition.After the paywall: Mark and Anjali discuss shocking new revelations about the UN’s budget, and what the official “pre-launch” of the selection process for the next Secretary-General tells us about how the UN’s next leader will be chosen.Discount link: https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff
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  What We Think About the Gaza Resolution at the Security Council 20.11.2025 23min

  On Monday evening, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2803, formally endorsing Trump’s peace initiative for Gaza. The resolution passed overwhelmingly, with 13 votes in favor, none against, and two abstentions (from Russia and China), following several weeks of U.S.-led diplomatic wrangling. There are a few ways to interpret this resolution. On one hand, it finally offers a semblance of international unity on how to confront the crisis in Gaza and the devastation wrought by Israel’s conduct during the war. On the other hand, the resolution is half-baked. It contains ideas that might work in theory, but in the specific context of Gaza, it is difficult to see how they could be implemented.In today’s (free!) episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I break down what we see as the key challenges to implementing this resolution. We discuss how it came together — and whether it can help this fragile ceasefire hold.Most of To Save Us From Hell is behind a paywall, but we recorded this episode live and wanted to bring it to you for free. We’d love your support to keep this show thriving — please upgrade to a paid subscription! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globaldispatches.org/subscribe
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  What Zohran Mamdani's Win Means for the UN 07.11.2025 19min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgNew York isn’t just the cultural and media capital of the United States — it’s also the host city to the United Nations. Since 1962, City Hall has maintained a special office dedicated to liaising with the UN. Anjali and Mark discuss the history of this office and how municipal elections in New York are actually quite consequential for the United Nations.Also discussed this week: a new development in the race to replace António Guterres as UN Secretary-General; how the UN is responding to the unfolding disaster in Sudan; and whether the Security Council will approve a U.S.-drafted resolution to deploy an international security force to Gaza.https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff
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  Will the Security Council Back a Gaza Stabilization Force? | Trump vs. the International Maritime Organization | Plus: Heba Aly on a New Push for UN Charter Reform 22.10.2025 21min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe ceasefire in Gaza is hanging by a thread. One idea on the table: an International Stabilization Force made up of troops from around the world. The Security Council is deep in negotiations over a resolution to authorize it — but even if it passes, will the mission ever deploy? Mark and Anjali have their doubts.Meanwhile, the Trump administration just blew up a global deal to put a price on carbon in international shipping — a move that would have pushed the industry toward zero emissions. Mark and Anjali break down this latest clash between Washington and the U.N.Those conversations are behind the paywall for our subscribers. Up first, they sit down with Heba Aly, director of a new coalition called Article 109, which is taking on a bold mission: reforming the U.N. Charter itself. Get a discounted subscription: https://www.globaldispatches.org/40percentoff