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World's Toughest Job

by Foreign Policy · English · News

The United Nations secretary-general has been said to hold the “most impossible job in the world.” And for just the 10th time in the organization’s history, a new candidate will soon be stepping into that role. Through immersive storytelling and voices from around the globe, World’s Toughest Job ex

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 41 min
Latest: 29 Sep 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

29 Sep 2026 · 41 min

The Triage Game: Own, Delegate, or Drop

This season on World’s Toughest Job, host Jasmin Bauomy and co-host Mark Malloch-Brown asked how the next United Nations secretary-general might actually make a difference on issues such as complex wars, climate change, and artificial intelligence. But any secretary-general’s most scarce resource is time. So in this special episode, recorded live at this year’s U.N. General Assembly, we wanted to do something a little different. We asked our panelists what progress the next secretary-general needs to deliver personally in their first 100 days, what they should delegate to others, and what…

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Earlier episodes 9 most recent

S1 · E8 · 30 Jun 2026 · 48 min
What Can the Next Secretary-General Do to Protect the Future?
In 1987, the United Nations called a huge meeting in Montreal to negotiate the phaseout of ozone-depleting chemicals. And… it worked. The ozone layer is healing. And the Montreal Protocol is probably the best environmental treaty that we’ve ever pulled off. But the Montreal Protocol had to deal with one set of chemicals. A handful of companies. A replacement that was already sitting on the shelf. And what the next U.N. secretary-general inherits is nothing like that. In this last episode of World’s Toughest Job, we’re asking: Can the next secretary-general turn the U.N. from a place where…
S1 · E7 · 23 Jun 2026 · 39 min
Can the UN Still Act as the Emergency Platform the World Needs?
The 1997 East Asian financial crisis, the 2008 global food and energy crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic are all examples of global systemic shocks. And when the next secretary-general takes office in January 2027, there will most likely be another complex crisis underway. These days, a new complex global crisis pops up about as often as the Olympics. And the UN secretary-general may be the only leader who can persuade a divided world to respond as one. Host Jasmin Bauomy and co-host Mark Malloch-Brown are joined by Sigrid Kaag, a former Dutch deputy prime minister and finance minister and UN…
S1 · E6 · 16 Jun 2026 · 39 min
How Can a New Secretary-General Protect the Infrastructure We All Depend on?
The cables that carry most of the world’s data, the shipping lanes that carry its energy and goods, and the satellites that keep its financial systems running were all built on the assumption that the global economy was something that most actors wanted to protect. But that assumption is now being tested. Our connectivity has created new vulnerabilities, with physical and digital chokepoints that are exposed as single points of failure. So now, the next United Nations secretary-general inherits a different problem: As the infrastructure connecting the world becomes a target for attacks, what…
S1 · E5 · 9 Jun 2026 · 42 min
As Another Economic Crisis Looms, How Should the UN Respond?
In 1994, United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali proposed a radical, new vision to reform the global financial infrastructure. He called it An Agenda for Development. But his proposal was watered down in committee and largely ignored by the financial powers of the time. Today, more than 50 countries are in serious distress because of their debt. And now, the crisis in the Hormuz Strait is affecting food prices, currencies, and fuel supplies all at once. And the G20 can’t seem to agree on a course of action for how to solve it all. So what could or should the next…
S1 · E4 · 2 Jun 2026 · 37 min
Does the UN Have a Seat at the AI Table?
In the United Nations’ early years, Secretary-General Trygve Lie negotiated with governments to stop the nuclear arms race. But today, the code that could reshape civilization is owned by private companies. This year, one of the leading artificial intelligence labs decided its new model was too dangerous to release. It was essentially a private CEO making a governance call for the entire world. The UN wasn’t in the room. In fact, it wasn't even invited. The UN is trying to catch up. It has launched a new scientific panel, and it is hosting global dialogues in Geneva to get everyone on the…
S1 · E3 · 26 May 2026 · 42 min
Can the Next Secretary-General Deliver for the World’s Young People and Young Countries?
In 1960, when 17 African nations declared independence from colonial rule, the United Nations reinvented itself. Today, Africa and parts of Asia are home to the largest generation of young people in history. In Africa alone, 12 million young people enter the workforce every year, but only 3 million formal jobs are created. Development assistance is no longer enough. African leaders want real structural power in the global economy. On this episode of World’s Toughest Job, we ask: Can the next U.N. secretary-general deliver for the world’s young people and young countries? Host Jasmin Bauomy…
19 May 2026 · 44 min
Can the Secretary-General Still Act as a Firebreak on Peace and Security?
During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, United Nations Secretary-General U Thant had three things on his side: personal diplomacy, the UN’s neutrality, and a few precious days to negotiate. Today, the risk from war is once again at a dangerous level. And on this episode of World’s Toughest Job, we ask what leverage the next secretary-general will have when a threat simmers for months or years and then explodes—not in 13 days, but in 13 hours. Can they still act as a firebreak when the old safety nets are gone? Or is it truly an impossible job? Jasmin Bauomy and Mark Malloch-Brown are joined…
S1 · E1 · 28 Apr 2026 · 38 min
What Kind of Leader Does the UN Need Right Now?
This year, 193 member states will elect a new secretary-general of the United Nations. Over the next eight episodes, we’ll ask how the next secretary-general might actually make a difference on issues from economic turbulence and superpower rivalries to artificial intelligence, inequality, and climate change. But today, we’re starting off with the most basic question: What kind of leader does the UN need right now? Host Jasmin Bauomy is joined by Thant Myint-U, a senior fellow at the UN Foundation; Susana Malcorra, the president and co-founder of GWL Voices; and Mark Malloch-Brown, a former…
20 Apr 2026 · 2 min
Coming Soon: World's Toughest Job
Between now and the end of this year, 193 member states will elect a new secretary-general of the United Nations. This person will oversee a staff of tens of thousands around the world and be asked to manage global emergencies, avert climate disaster, and end wars—all while answering to 193 bosses. What kind of leader does the world need right now? And how should candidates prepare to serve not just governments but 8 billion people? We’ll get into it all on World’s Toughest Job, coming April 28 from Foreign Policy and the UN Foundation.

About World's Toughest Job

World's Toughest Job is a English news podcast from Foreign Policy. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Foreign Policy
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 41 min
Latest episode: 29 Sep 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1894846765

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