Global Governance Podcast

Michael Mandelbaum reflects on American foreign policy, mounting nuclear dangers, geopolitical fragmentation, and whether today's international institutions can adapt before another global crisis compels reform.
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As geopolitical fragmentation deepens, Ambassador Juan González-Barba reflects on Europe's future, the power of shared values, and how principled cooperation can help shape a more stable international order.

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As grand corruption erodes democracy, security, and public trust, Allan Rock explores the case for an International Anti-Corruption Court, the future of UN reform, and the stronger global institutions needed to uphold the rule of law.

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In a recent podcast conversation with Adam Lupel, we explored the growing mismatch between today’s global risks and the United Nations’ capacity to respond effectively. Our discussion ranged from Security Council paralysis and the corrosive effects of veto use, to the UN’s limited ability to address contemporary threats such as civil conflict, state fragility, and transnational risks. We also examined why disarmament and prevention—once central to the UN’s mission—have weakened, and what it would take to restore them as credible pillars of collective security. Importantly, we considered forward-looking ideas, including the role of an Earth System Council in addressing planetary instability as a security issue, and the need to deepen civil society participation to strengthen legitimacy. These questions go to the heart of a broader challenge: how to modernize global governance so the UN can evolve into a more effective, problem-solving institution at the center of international cooperation. We invite you to listen to the full conversation and engage with these critical issues.

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In this episode, Jojo Mehta, CEO of Stop Ecocide International, explores the growing global movement to recognize ecocide as an international crime. Building on the vision she developed with the late Polly Higgins, Mehta explains why criminal law—alongside regulation—is essential to closing accountability gaps in a fragmented world. She reflects on the milestones that have moved ecocide from the margins to mainstream legal and diplomatic debate, and what its adoption could mean in practice for governments, corporations, and investors confronting the climate crisis. Looking ahead, she outlines practical steps for action and a credible pathway toward systemic change. This is a thoughtful and persuasive conversation that makes a powerful case for why ecocide law could reshape global incentives—well worth a listen.

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