Announcements Galore!
It’s been very busy behind-the-scenes here at Global Dispatches.
The news is coming fast these days. I will, of course, keep covering the Iran War, with a particular eye on its broadening global fallout, including yesterday’s episode about the deleterious impact of the war on countries like Sudan, Somalia, Myanmar, and other places already in the midst of crisis.
I also wanted to give you a sneak preview of some other major stories I’ll be covering in the coming weeks—as well as some new ways to stay engaged.
The Race for UN Secretary-General
Next week, the candidates for UN Secretary-General will have their day at the General Assembly. Each candidate will face hours of public-facing questions from member states and civil society, where we can expect to get a decent understanding of where they stand on key issues facing the United Nations and the world. This is the real kickoff in the race for UN Secretary-General, and I plan to cover it.
In partnership with the Gates Foundation, I’ll be publishing Global Dispatches episodes on the race for UN Secretary-General, as well as several podcast episodes on the diplomacy of global health and development.
Stay tuned for an episode next week in which Anjali Dayal and I discuss what we learned from these hearings, along with future episodes on global health and development.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Comes Under Review
The NPT is the backbone of global efforts to curb nuclear weapons. Since it entered into force in 1970, it has been a remarkably effective treaty in limiting the number of countries around the world that possess nuclear weapons. Every five years, it comes under review at a major UN conference known as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, or “NPT RevCon” in UN argot.
The RevCon kicks off on April 27 and runs for nearly a month, through May 22. I’ll be serving as something akin to a “pool reporter,” covering this conference in support of dozens of international journalists who report on nuclear security issues and feeding them news and insights from the confab. This project is backed by the Stanley Center for Peace and Security’s Developing Story Project, an initiative to support, strengthen, and sustain reporting on nuclear weapons and related issues. In partnership with Ploughshares, I’ll also publish public-facing episodes about what is at stake at this key diplomatic inflection point for nuclear security. Stay tuned for those.
New Ways to Follow It All!
Global Dispatches is the longest-running independent international affairs podcast, and one thing I’ve learned over these past 13 years is that to adapt is to survive. To that end, we are making a major push into short-form video content that brings all you social media scrollers handpicked highlights from our episiodes. You can check these out on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook. Please like, subscribe, share, etc. These have been running for a few weeks now, and I’ve been really impressed with the results. (Let me know what you think).
Finally, I’ve started a Global Dispatches WhatsApp Channel. The mission of this channel is to offer pithy, insider-y insights into what global events reveal about the state of international cooperation and power, particularly at a moment when the UN is under significant stress. I’m planning to approach this channel like old-school Twitter and update it regularly with short takes, breaking news, and links to outside articles I find particularly useful. Next week, I’ll be posting regularly throughout the Secretary General candidate hearings. When you sign up, be sure to enable notifications!
As always, feel free to reach out to me with your ideas, suggestions, critiques, or simply to show your appreciation. What I do is a constant hustle, but I love it.
(And if you are around the UN the week of April 27, come say “hi.”)
—Mark