Awake at Night | United Nations

“Peace is a prerequisite. It's so critical for development… for unleashing the potential of the little girls. Peace is so important for enabling mothers, widows to give the best they can.”

Having grown up in war-torn rural Zimbabwe, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda overcame extreme hardship to pursue a career at the highest levels of the United Nations. Now UN Assistant Secretary-General, and one of two deputy executive directors of UN Women, she wants little girls everywhere to aspire to the same heights.

“Never let your circumstances determine your future. They are just a stepping stone to who you truly are.”

UN Women works to uphold women’s human rights and ensure that every woman and girl lives up to her full potential. Nyaradzayi reflects on a childhood touched by war, poverty and disease, on a lifelong love of learning, and on how a recent accident gave her a new perspective on inequality.

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“There are also great stories and children who I see, who you know, are so resilient, children who have hope for the future.”

Catherine Russell never forgets the children she meets. As Executive Director of UNICEF, she bears witness to the stories of tens of millions of children and young people suffering around the world, and shares causes for optimism and hope wherever she finds it.

“Children just want to be children. No matter what, the bleakest situation, the most terrible things, they still want to play right? They want to find some joy. They want to just be kids, and I think that's what we have to all work to protect.”

2024 was one of the worst years on record for children in conflict, a devastating statistic that the UN is refusing to accept as a deadly new normal. Catherine reflects on the impacts of childhood trauma, the limits of human resilience, and looks back on a childhood spent trick-or-treating for UNICEF.

* Episode recorded end of 2024

Catherine Russell :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

"[T]his is another place where the UN can play a role in bringing that public private connectivity together"

Carmen Corbin dreamt of serving with the United Nations from an early age. Now head of Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism Prevention programmes at the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in East Africa, she is dedicated to protecting children from shocking online exploitation.

“We won't know who is real and who is not real. We can't keep up. All of us, in some way, shape or form, will potentially suffer from the fact that we won't be able to trust anyone that we meet, because you're never sure if that person is truly who they say they are.”

The UNODC supports law enforcement efforts in tackling all transnational organized crime and counter terrorism, including cybercrime. Carmen reflects on the challenges of overseeing a wide portfolio, on the psychological strain of prosecuting the worst kinds of cybercrimes and shares her advice for a successful international career.

Carmen Corbin :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“We can see how many people are suffering…We can see that people are running out of food, are running out of water, and the real narrative is that this will affect everyone sooner or later.”

Celeste Saulo has always been fascinated by the weather. Now Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), she is seeing climate breakdown warp global weather systems beyond recognition, with devastating impacts on countless lives and livelihoods.

“We want to save lives. We need these early warnings to reach everyone on Earth.”

The UN Secretary-General has issued a red alert for the planet after a full decade of record-breaking heat driven by human activity. In this episode of Awake at Night, Celeste reflects on our shared responsibility to future generations, on an emotional meeting with Pope Francis, and on why she can never give up hope.

Celeste Saulo :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“I think it was very clear that we were in a bad spot, though, being dealt a bad hand, but I was somehow optimistic that things would be better.”

Having overcome a childhood marked by violence, abuse and neglect, Benjamin Perks has always drawn strength from an innate sense of optimism. Now Head of Campaigns and Advocacy at UNICEF, he helps protect young people in similar situations all over the world.

Trauma Proof is the title of a book Benjamin recently authored about his experiences. In this episode of Awake at Night, he reflects on a lifetime campaigning for all children to be safe, seen, and soothed, and on how an encounter with a special teacher put his life back on track.

“When I held my son in my arms, I knew that what had happened to me was now unimaginable to myself… that made me ask the question, if I can heal from it, if I can recover and not transmit it to my child, can we do this for the whole of humanity?”

Banjamin Perks :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

Just days before, she recalled, “he kissed us goodbye, and I remember telling him in my joking way: ‘Be sure you come back.’”

UN official Laura Dolci was feeding her baby son when she heard the devastating news that her husband Jean-Sélim Kanaan had been killed in a suicide bomb attack on the UN Headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. It was August 19, 2003: the darkest day in UN history, and the darkest day in her life.

Working through tremendous trauma, Laura Dolci became a fierce advocate for terrorism victims – calling for recognition and support to those affected by what she calls a senseless crime. At the United Nations, she is now a distinguished leader in international human rights. 

Laura reflects on the meaning of the term resilience, on her late husband’s legacy, and on her hopes for their son. “One of the first things I had to tell [my son] was, ‘Your father was killed.’  [...] How do you make sure that the next generation can still believe in justice, in mediation, in respect, in resolving tensions and conflicts?”

Laura Dolci :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“We cannot have health without peace. Peace is the most urgent medicine.”

As a doctor, Dr. Hans Kluge helped save lives in some of the toughest places on Earth. Now the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, he is working to improve the health of hundreds of millions of people - in a region stretching from Vladivostok to Lisbon.

Stepping into his European role just as a global pandemic swept the earth, Hans never dreamed that his previous experience in crisis-hit sub-Saharan Africa would prove so useful. He reflects on lessons learned during COVID, the mental health crisis, and on surprising methods to build trust with remote communities.

“My dream and my vision is that we have a culture of health [...] independent of your financial means, your sexual orientation, whether you are documented or an undocumented migrant, that you are empowered to live a healthy life, [...] we have to have universal health coverage.”

Hans Kluge :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“We want people to scream at the top of their lungs saying enough is enough […] We as humanity will not tolerate this, regardless of what and where it is happening. It's just not right if you are hurting women, children, innocent people.”

Arif Husain has spent the past decade raising his voice on behalf of those struggling to get enough to eat. Now Chief Economist at the World Food Programme (WFP), he is calling for the world to put a stop to mass hunger.

There is no shortage of food in the world, yet WFP says the number of people going hungry has more than doubled in the past five years. Arif reflects on how the deadly trio of conflict, climate change and economics conspire to breed hunger, and offers listeners hope from a surprising source.

Arif Husain :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming

“I don't think you can underestimate the capacity of human ingenuity to come up with solutions at a blistering pace.”

Acclaimed actor, filmmaker and three-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton has long been raising his voice on behalf of the planet and its most vulnerable communities. As a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, he is championing the protection of biodiversity for the well-being of all.

“I started diving, when I was 14, in the Caribbean. The change to the reef environments in the Caribbean in my adult lifetime is staggering and really upsetting [...] It looks like a burnt forest or something. It’s just not, it’s not as alive.”

Working closely with communities in East Africa and around the world, Edward is pushing for conservation that also tackles poverty by providing sustainable sources of income for local communities.

Edward Norton :: interviewed by Melissa Fleming