ºÚÁÏרÇø

Bintou Keita knows instinctively that some moments call for a more human response than words alone can offer. Once, at a ceremony to mark the end of the devastating Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, she found herself hesitating to deliver her pre-prepared statement to a grief-stricken crowd.

¡°I have my statement, but I can't deliver [it] because there's something else I have to do before. And in that moment, what came to me was humming, so I did it. And at that moment, the tears - my own, the tears in the audience - came out. These people were grieving, were still mourning.¡±

Bintou Keita has retired after 36 years with the UN, most recently the Secretary-General¡¯s Special Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and head of the peacekeeping mission there. In this episode, she reflects on times when peacekeepers saved thousands of lives, on how women can lead the way out of devastating conflicts, and shares why she has learned to never say never.

Bintou Keita :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

A medical doctor by training, Dr. Felipe Paullier is a passionate advocate for young people. Two years ago, aged just 32, his life took a new turn when he became the first-ever Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, the youngest senior appointment in the history of the ºÚÁÏרÇø.

¡°Leaving young people at the sidelines of how we find solutions is not the way. It's really bringing them [in], because on many of the things, the solutions will come from them.¡±

The UN Youth Office believes that positive change is rooted in empowering young people to meaningfully participate in decisions that impact their lives and futures. In this episode, Felipe reflects on youth demands for peace and opportunity, on the stubborn barriers to change, and shares why he always prescribes reconnecting with nature as a cure for digital overwhelm.

¡°I've heard this from the Secretary General. You know, power, in essence, is not to be given, it's to be taken. ¡±

Felipe Paullier :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

After enlisting at 18, Cheryl Pearce battled rigid gender barriers to rise through the military ranks. Now the UN¡¯s Acting Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations, the Australian-born Lieutenant General is the highest ranking woman in uniform within the ºÚÁÏרÇø.

¡°Peace for me, is seeing communities having food security, having water security, education, knowing, you know, as a mum myself, knowing that my children can grow up to feel like that. They can have a life and a future and fulfill their dreams and goals.¡±

Lieutenant General Pearce knows what it takes to serve in some of the most difficult places on earth, from East Timor to Afghanistan. In this episode, she reflects on the sources of her mental and physical resilience, on making a robust case for peacekeeping in an age of disinformation, and shares why her family wants her to show her chaotic side once in a while.

¡°I don't believe in a world without peacekeeping. I truly believe in what we do and that we do make a difference. There is so much good about who we are and what we do.¡±

Cheryl Pearce :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

Jean-Martin Bauer was just a teenager when a visit to his uncle¡¯s Haitian rice farm planted the seed of his life-long passion for food security. Now Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis at the World Food Programme (WFP) he works to feed hungry people worldwide.

¡°Even now, even during these dark times ¡­ there are opportunities to sow seeds for a better future.¡±

The world faces a global hunger crisis, with a record 319 million people currently not getting enough to eat. The author of a recent book on hunger in the Twenty-First Century, Jean-Martin Bauer reflects in this episode on the human cost of famine in Gaza and Sudan, the impact of funding cuts on the most vulnerable, and explains why the best solutions are those closest to home.

¡°That island in the south of Haiti was a great message of hope for everyone in the country, because the farmers of Haiti can feed themselves. They can feed the nation if given a chance.¡±

Jean-Martin Bauer :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock is a new face at the ºÚÁÏרÇø. Sworn in as President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2025, she brings experience and energy at a time of challenges and new beginnings ¨C including the selection of the next Secretary-General.

¡°We need this place where countries, big and small, rich and poor, are coming together and have an equal say and an equal vote.¡±

Shaped by her nation¡¯s turbulent past and successful reunification Annalena Baerbock entered politics at a young age. In this episode, she reflects on the importance of female pioneers, the impact of online harassment and shares why the UN Charter can still move her to tears.

¡°It meant really a lot to me, personally to be sworn in on the original document of the charter. And if people could see, I was too afraid to touch the charter. So my hand was kind of one centimeter above it.¡±

Annalena Baerbock :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

Filippo Grandi has devoted more than three decades to easing the suffering of refugees: ¡°My pride after all these years is that the center of this effort of my lifetime has been on people, and especially on the people that suffer most in the world, including refugees.¡± 

Now, shortly before his term comes to an end, and as more than 117 million people worldwide remain forcibly displaced, the long-serving UN High Commissioner for Refugees is welcoming a rare moment of hope for one of the world¡¯s largest refugee populations. ¡°Home means your house, your family, your friends, your work, your school, and it is fantastic when, like in Syria [¡­] people can go back to their homes. This is what most refugees want.¡±

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, not only helps those who flee war and persecution, but also those who choose to go home when peace returns. Appearing on Awake at Night for a second time, Filippo Grandi reflects on the dangers of divisive politics, the human cost of painful budget and staff cuts, and shares his hopes and dreams for life after the UN.

Filippo Grandi :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

Every day at noon, St¨¦phane Dujarric steps on stage to field questions about the ºÚÁÏרÇø from international journalists. As spokesman for the Secretary-General, he must be ready to talk on all aspects of the organization¡¯s work at a time of unprecedented financial and political strain.

¡°There is no way we can move forward in this world without multilateralism, without an organization like this one. It's like a plant, right? It needs to be watered. We can't let it wither away.¡±

An alumnus of the ºÚÁÏרÇø International School, St¨¦phane Dujarric was immersed in the world of international diplomacy from an early age. In this episode, he shares why his own family owes everything to the actions of two courageous diplomats, and reflects on how being a procrastinator can be a superpower when faced with the challenge of the 24-hour news cycle.

Stephane Dujarric :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

A life-long humanitarian, Matthias Schmale has borne witness to a number of seismic moments in world history. Currently ºÚÁÏרÇø Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, he is overseeing efforts to help Ukrainians prepare for a fourth winter at war.

¡°The longer this lasts, the more the resilience will go down, the more the psychological damage will take hold [...] There are nights where I lie in bed thinking, why can't this nightmare for civilians end?¡±

Ukrainians have endured four years of hellish conflict that continues to devastate civilian lives and infrastructure, leaving 36 percent of the population in need of aid. In this episode, Matthias Schmale looks back on a long career of humanitarian service, reflects on the deep scars of war and explains why daily life in Kyiv can be both heaven and hell.

Matthias Schmale :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming