Unpacking the United Nations with Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman and Alistair Somerville

Diplomatic Immunity

Season 5, Episode 1: This season, Diplomatic Immunity is exploring the depths of multilateralism to learn how consensus-driven diplomacy survives in an era of renewed great power competition. For the first episode, ISD Director of Research and Programs Kelly McFarland talked to two experts with experience at the United Nations. First, Kelly chatted with ISD alumni Alistair Somerville to walk through the history of the 77-year-old institution.

Alistair Somerville is a staff assistant at the UN Secretariat's office in Washington, the UN Information Centre, where he coordinates the Secretariat's work with academic institutions, think tanks, and the media in Washington and around the United States.

To dig deeper into the issues affecting the United Nations today, Kelly talked to Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman who has served as a high-ranking diplomat with both the United States and the United Nations. Ambassador Feltman explains why he has been pleasantly surprised by the UN's efforts in light of the war in Ukraine and is cautiously optimistic about the future of the institution.

Jeffrey Feltman is the John C. Whitehead Visiting Fellow in International Diplomacy in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings and a Senior Fellow at the UN Foundation, both based in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Feltman was appointed as the first U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, a position he held from April 2021 until January 2022. From July 2012 until his April 2018 retirement, he served as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs. From 2009 until 2012, Ambassador Feltman was the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Prior to his 2004-2008 tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, he served as a U.S. diplomat in Erbil, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tunis, Amman, Budapest, and Port-au-Prince.

Episode recorded: October 10, 2022 (interview with Alistair Somerville) and November 30, 2022 (Interview with Ambassador Feltman)

Produced by Daniel Henderson and Kelly McFarland.

Episode Image: Flags at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Mathias Reding on Unspalsh

Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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