UN Dispatch

The Israeli Defense Forces have continued their deliberate attacks on UN peacekeeping positions in southern Lebanon, including an incident in which UNIFIL Blue Helmets were injured by white phosphorus, an incendiary chemical agent used by the Israeli army. (Why does this keep happening, and what can make it stop?) Meanwhile, António Guterres finds himself in hot water with the Ukrainians for his …

When Sudan’s civil war erupted in April 2023, something at once very common and profoundly extraordinary took place. In the first few weeks of Sudan’s civil war, neighborhoods, mostly in and around Khartoum, began to set up what they called “Emergency Response Rooms.” This is a bit of a misnomer because while some Emergency Response Rooms do provide medical assistance, others are communal kitchen…

It’s an annual UNGA tradition! For the umpteenth year in a row, Richard Gowan, Anjali Dayal, and I sit down for a wide-ranging chat about all things UNGA. Richard Gowan, of course, is the oft-quoted UN expert who serves as the UN Director of the International Crisis Group. And you probably know Fordham University International Relations Professor Anjali Dayal best as the co-host of our sister pod…

When President Biden approached the General Assembly dais, I expected a bit of a historical tour of his 50-year career in public service. He delivered on that. I also expected him to speak directly to the three most urgent conflicts today: the widening conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the crisis in Sudan. He addressed those crises as well. What I did not expect was t…

As I write, hundreds of world leaders are on their way to New York for the opening of the 79th United Nations General Assembly. This is always one of the most important moments in international diplomacy, and this week will be no different. For today’s newsletter, I want to share some of the stories I believe will drive the agenda in New York during what is known as “High-Level Week” at the UN. T…

For most people in the foreign policy world, the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York each September tends to elicit reactions ranging from exasperation to eye-rolls. Among journalists, there’s a too-cool-for-school attitude toward UNGA. It’s hip to complain about it, and I understand why. The logistics of covering world leaders at the UN during High-Level Week can be…

“A rare bright spot amid the disastrous conflict in the Gaza Strip.” That is how UNICEF described the successful first phase of a massive polio vaccination campaign in Gaza. Polio was confirmed three weeks ago, and over the last several days, UNICEF, the WHO, and UNRWA have taken advantage of humanitarian pauses in the fighting to administer hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses. In the first se…

The significance of the Summit of the Future is a somewhat tricky to convey. On the one hand, it is hard to overstate how much of a big deal the Summit of the Future for the United Nations, which bills it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.” On the other hand, the Summit of the Future has not really penetrated outside the UN bubble. Not yet, at least. The Summit of the Future is a two day con…

Before we sat down to record this week’s episode, authorities in Iran announced that Hamas’ political leader, Ismael Haniyeh, was killed in Tehran. This news came just hours after Israel claimed responsibility for the targeted assassination of a top Hezbollah commander, who was killed in retaliation for a gruesome missile attack in the Golan Heights. Amidst this flurry, there is a heightened pros…

We are as close as ever to an all out war between Israel and Hezbollah. A Hezbollah rocket attack killed 12 children and teenagers at a soccer field in the Golan Heights this weekend. The victims were all Druze and in a village that Israel annexed, but is internationally recognized to be an occupied territory. While Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire on a near daily basis since Hamas’ October …