Ep. 18: The Security Council Goes Silent as the Secretary-General Speaks Up

PassBlue UN Podcasts

**BONUS EPISODE** Will the world's war against the coronavirus stop (at least temporarily) all other wars? Secretary-General Antonio Guterres certainly hopes so. Still working in a mostly-empty UN headquarters, Guterres has made a global call for cease fires of all conflicts...with mixed results. And if Guterres gets sick himself, who is in charge of the United Nations? PassBlue reporter Laura Kirkpatrick investigated the line of succession for the top position at the UN. No one knows how long the pandemic will last, and it may be a problem for the 75th annual UN General Assembly meetings in New York in September. Norwegian Mari Skare, the Chef de Cabinet of GA President Tijani Muhammad Bande of Nigeria, shares with us how she has moved the General Assembly to remote work and what options are currently on the table for this year's UNGA. Correction: The podcast mentions a press briefing by the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Economic and Social Council President, Mona Juul and the President of the Security Council, Zhang Jun, but previously omitted to mention that the President of the General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande was part of it and his office is the body that called the meeting. Links: PassBlue's live coverage of the Coronavirus pandemic at the UN: www.passblue.com/2020/03/15/the-u…s-rages-updates/ PassBlue's Facebook Group, where our reporters are giving updates and answering your questions: bit.ly/3a4KNX7 PassBlue's Twitter: @pass_blue ----- Support for UN-Scripted comes from the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs at Fordham University. Take your career to the next level and earn an International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance. It’s a 4-week intensive program taught by practicing humanitarian professionals, in locations around the world, from Kathmandu to Amman, New York to Geneva. Students will learn how facilitate dialogue and cooperation between governments and civil society, how to be more effective during humanitarian crises, and more. For more information on the upcoming program dates and locations, visit www.fordham.edu/iiha/grad and click on International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance. ----- Support for UN-Scripted comes from the Partnership for Transparency, a group of volunteer international development specialists. They work to advance good governance in developing countries by supporting civil society organizations. PTF believes governments alone can’t be expected to stop corruption. Their latest research shows that well-designed, citizen-led programs to strengthen transparency and accountability can produce better outcomes than state-led initiatives.. PTF’s report has practical recommendations for how empowered, engaged, and professional non-government actors can advance Sustainable Development Goal 16. To read the report or learn more about PTF’s work visit ptfund.org.