Who Rules the World

Some people fight for human rights in the streets. Others do it in the negotiating room. This week, we meet one of the latter. Join Veronika and Lars for a fascinating conversation with Kajsa Ollongren, the EU's Special Representative for Human Rights. From the death penalty to climate justice, gender equality to migration — her mandate touches the defining challenges of our era, and she's working every day to move the needle on all of them. In this episode, they dig into what it really means to champion human rights on the world stage, the surprising power of dialogue, and why young people are more central to this work than they might think.

Today's guest is someone whose life story is a testament to resilience, courage, and an unwavering belief in the power of policy to change lives. Ramika Khabiri grew up in Kabul amid decades of conflict, and from an early age she found her voice through art and music — using both as tools to speak out against violence toward women. That instinct to advocate would go on to define her entire career. To hear more about Ramika's journey and what Afghanistan women and girls are going through in 21st century listen to the full episode.

In this episode, Lars spoke with the Ukrainian Youth Delegates, Vitalina Shevchenko and Yan Erl Ruzhytskyi, about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its profound impact on young people. In this conversation, they share their perspectives on how the war has affected youth across the country, and how young Ukrainians are showing resilience and leadership even in times of conflict. Vitalina discusses the outcomes of her regional consultations with youth before coming to New York, while Yan reflects on the importance of intergenerational dialogue in rebuilding trust and fostering lasting peace. Together, they also introduce the Youth Manifesto for Peace, launched during UNGA80 with the call for greater youth participation in peace negotiations. The episode explores why including youth voices at the negotiation table is essential for achieving durable peace, and what priorities young Ukrainians would bring if given that opportunity. Tune in to hear how Vitalina and Yan represent the strength and hope of their generation in the face of war, and how they envision youth shaping the future of peace in Ukraine.

This is a very special episode, as it marks Giulia's last conversation on this platform as the EU Youth Delegate to the UN (2023-2025). Welcoming her successors, Veronika Novotna and Lars Westra (2025-2026), they delve into a deep conversation about what it means to be an EU Youth Delegate to the UN, the ups and downs of the mandate, sharing insightful recommendations. Veronika and Lars will take the lead on this amazing journey at the United Nations and will bring you into the insightful conversations of the Who Rules the World Podcast.

In a special co-production with the Who Rules the World? Podcast, created and produced by EU Delegation in New York, Lars Westra, EU Youth Delegate to the UN, presents this month’s episode of London Calling EU. Lars attended the EU Delegation to the UK’s Annual Youth Dialogue event held this year in Newcastle University, where he caught up with the EU Ambassador to the UK Pedro Serrano. Ambassador Serrano, who was in fact the first EU Ambassador to the UN, spoke to Lars about the importance of youth voices in multilateralism and why youth should get in contact with different cultures/environments. At an important juncture in EU-UK Youth relations, the importance of keeping channels open with the youth is more important than ever.

In this episode we re-visit to the Opening or High-Level Week of the United Nations General Assembly 80th Session in New York. EU Youth Delegate Veronika Novotna had a conversation with Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport. EU Commissioner Micallef’s mission is to work on creating more space in the society for young people to be influential, and with more responsibility in the European societies. The main question is how can this be achieved when international institutions still struggle to take youth voices seriously? Another important question is why arn’t youth representatives consitlted and invloved in policy decision making processes? Veronika also asked EU Commissioner Micallef how can politicians and youth work together to achieve meaningful youth participation in global and local level. Children’s rights are also part of the converstation. Th hear what other issues Veronika riased with Commissioner Micallef listen to the full episode!

We devote this episode to the mark celebratory UN@80 - UN Day - 24 October. During the High-Level Week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, we had a talk with the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, who devoted some time to youth in his busy schedule. In his role, Commissioner Síkela is responsible for ensuring that the EU builds long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that strengthen prosperity, resilience, and security. In this conversation, he reflects on his recent travels, shares insights into the Global Gateway initiative, building on the Team Europe approach and explains how Europe is working to deliver concrete projects that make a difference on the ground. Among all the important issues, Commissioner Sikela also ensures the EU support and promotion of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. EU Youth Delegate Veronika Novotna, discusses all this and also the resilience of the international system in uncertain times, the role of young people in global cooperation, and how the EU is addressing backsliding on human rights, gender equality, and the need for more inclusive partnerships with civil society, academia, and the private sector. Commissioner Síkela offered a personal message to the young people attending UNGA80 — and to youth everywhere – listen to the episode to hear his message!

We devote the special Europe Day episode to the 80th Anniversary of the United Nation. This year we also celebrate 75th years of Schuman Declaration the foundation of the European Union. It is a great moment to reflect on what multilateralism truly means today and how we can reconnect people, especially youth, with the institutions that are meant to serve them. We are honoured to have UN’s own, USG for Global Communications Melissa Fleming. USG Fleming has been a passionate advocate for the power of truth, information integrity, storytelling, and of course, international cooperation. She has been the heart of how the UN communicates to the world. USG Fleming together with EU YD Giulia explores the evolving role of the UN, cooperation with the EU, and the importance of multilateralism; what it means to communicate hope and action in the age of disinformation, and how we can build trust in institutions that often feel far away but impact our lives every day.

This episode highlights the experience and perspective of LGBTQI+ human rights defenders, with a focus on the intersections of activism, mental health, and the power of the performative arts in raising awareness about the LGBTQI+ Community. Erik’s work as a psychologist and cultural facilitator offers a unique lens into how artistic expression can become a tool for resilience, resistance, and community healing. His voice represents a generation of young changemakers advocating for dignity and safety in an increasingly polarized world. In this episode, we’ll also discuss the role of international institutions, particularly the EU, in amplifying and protecting LGBTQI+ rights.

In this episode of Who Rules the World?, hosted by the EU Delegation to the United Nations, we're diving into one of the most important events for gender equality this year: the 69th Commission on the Status of Women, or CSW69, and the 30-year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Three decades after world leaders gathered in Beijing to set an ambitious agenda for women's rights, where do we stand today? Have we truly made progress, or are we still facing the same systemic barriers? And how can young people play a bigger role in shaping gender equality policies? To help us answer these questions, Giulia is in coversation with an incredible guest: Ishaan Shah. Ishaan is a young leader deeply engaged in intergovernmental processes and a strong advocate for gender equality, human rights, and multilateralism. He advises UN Women, the UN Youth Office, UNODC, UN Foundation, and the Global Commission on Modern Slavery. His work focuses on building trust in global institutions and ensuring that youth voices are not just included, but meaningfully centred.

On 6 March, 2025, High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas hosted her first Youth Policy Dialogue on EU Foreign Policy. This event was organised in response to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's request to hold a Youth Policy Dialogue within the first 100 days of the mandate and then annually. Youth Policy Dialogues are designed to provide young people with a platform to share their opinions on EU policy initiatives. These dialogues bring together young people and EU Commissioners in an interactive setting, ensuring that youth perspectives are reflected in the EU's work. In March, a group of 25 young community builders, aged 19-30, from diverse backgrounds and regions both inside and outside the EU, gathered in Brussels to discuss with high-level EU representatives around four key themes: - The EU and its geopolitical priorities - Peacebuilding and conflict resolution - Human rights and democracy - Global and climate diplomacy But what were the outcomes? What was the process that led to this discussion? This episode will explore the preparatory meetings, the actions, and the activities that helped participants delve into the discussion topics. This will give insights into the drafting of a document containing 12 preliminary action proposals from these 25 young individuals to foster youth involvement in EU foreign policy. Listen to the voices of the participants and learn more about what happened in Brussels!

Today’s episode of Who Rules the World?, hosted by the EU Delegation to the United Nations’ Youth Delegate Giulia Tariello, delves into a topic of women’s career and leadership roles. Our guest is Stella Ronner-Grubačić, EU Ambassador for Gender and Diversity, who attended the UN Commission of Status of Women 69th Session, held from 10-21 March in NYC. Being in the lead of the Gender Equality Ambassador Ronner speaks about gender-balanced roles for women in all management levels of the workforce. She talks about how to balance life and career.

In today’s episode of Who Rules the World?, host Giulia Tariello European Union Youth Delegate, talks with Eleonora Svanberg, an inspiring woman reshaping the narrative around women and girls in STEM. Eleonora is a half-Swedish, half-Persian writer, speaker, founder, and advocate, currently pursuing a PhD in mathematical physics at the University of Oxford. Beyond her groundbreaking academic pursuits, Eleonora is a prominent social media influencer with over 300,000 followers on her platform, where she inspires the next generation of women to explore the world of science, technology, and mathematics. Despite progress, the gender gap in STEM remains significant, with systemic barriers often discouraging women from entering or advancing in these fields. Eleonora’s mission is to change this narrative. By sharing her experience and advocating for inclusivity, she empowers young women and girls globally to follow their aspirations and thrive in STEM careers. This episode will explore her work and how platforms like hers can inspire a new generation. Together, they delve into actionable ways to bridge the gender gap in STEM and highlight the importance of creating a more inclusive and equitable future for women in science.

On Human Rights Day, which brings the #16DaysofActivism to end gender-based violence to a close, we want to talk loudly about Women’s Reproductive Rights! Today’s episode of Who Rules the World?, hosted by the EU Youth Delegate Giulia Tariello, delves into a topic that sits at the heart of health, equality, and human rights: women’s reproductive rights. Our guest is Adina Nivukoski, Finland's UN Youth Delegate to the UN. At just 24 years old, Adina has dedicated her mandate to championing women’s rights and education, drawing from her experience with UNESCO, UN Women, and OECD. She’s a writer, a speaker, and a passionate voice for justice, having addressed audiences from Finnish Public Broadcasters to high-level foreign policy events hosted by the President of Finland. Adina and Giulia will explore the challenges and opportunities in the fight for reproductive rights, the role of young advocates in pushing for change, and how international collaboration can create a world where every woman has control over her own body and future.

This is a take-over of EU Talks video series ( European Union at United Nations - on YouTube) by EU Youth Delegate Giulia Tariello. Giulia has two guests Mariia Kotsiurba, Ukrainian Youth Delegate to the UN 2024-2025. Mariia is a youth worker and project manager at the NGO «Development and Initiative», Master of International Law with a specialization in human rights protection, alumna of FLEX, CUPP and Erasmus+ programs. The other guest is Yurii Lomikovskyi. Yurii Lomikovskyi is a Ukrainian Youth Delegate to the UN for 2024-2025, a project manager at the Lviv City Institute, a co-founder of IRON Lviv Tech Cluster, and an ambassador of Lviv – European Youth Capital 2025. In their informal conversation they will discuss the significant role of young people as “the critical agents of positive change” as mentioned in the Pact of the Future. They will also speak about youth resilience, and more specifically during the war in Ukraine.

In this episode EU Youth Delegate and Who Rules the World? host Giulia focuses on the Youth Sound Board (YSB) members, EU Youth Engagement initiatives, the Action Days, and the upcoming Global Gateway High-Level Youth Event "Engage, Empower, Connect". Pak-Yen is a Global YSB member from Malaysia. She heads outreach and collaboration at the United Nations Association Malaysia and also serves as the deputy president at the Malaysian Association of Psychology Students. She has experience working on public policy across different settings including think-tanks and political organizations. Currently, she works as a public policy analyst, with an interest in the intersections of policy, social science, and data science. Shakhzoda Mirakova is an activist, journalist, and documentary filmmaker and YSB member from Uzbekistan who focuses on critical issues such as climate injustice and advocates for marginalized communities in Central Asia. She is a strong defender of freedom of speech and promotes active citizenship through her civic engagement initiatives and storytelling. Currently, she serves on the Youth Sounding Board as the only Central Asian representative, advising EU Commissioner for International Partnerships.

The new episode features Niel Swanepoel, a Namibian youth activist and digital policy expert currently serving on the EU-Namibia Youth Sounding Board, and studying international relations in Washington, DC. Previously, Niel served as a South African Youth Delegate to the G20, developing youth-focused policy recommendations for G20 Heads of State. Giulia and Niel discuss EU Youth Engagement initiatives, the UN Youth Action Days and Summit of the Future, and the possibilities of October EU Global Gateway High-Level Youth Event in Brussels "Engage, Empower, Connect".

This podcast episode highlights the significance of the upcoming UN Summit of the Future, especially for youth. It also announces the new edition of the EU global campaign #OurVoiceOurFuture. Young people worldwide are invited to participate in the social media challenge My Voice, My Future, becoming co-authors of a global narrative advocating for a better future. Their collective voices, shared under #OurVoiceOurFuture, are meant to inspire change and create a ripple effect towards positive transformation. Our guest, Paul Siniga, a young African leader who recently graduated with a Master of Science in African Studies from Oxford, has been a key supporter of the campaign since its inception. In conversation with EU Youth Delegate Giulia Tariello, Paul shares his insights, experiences, and vision for the future, continuing to champion the campaign and its goals.

In this episode EU Youth Delegate Lukas Svana is in conversation with Ambassador Vesna Batistić Kos about the Council of Europe and European Union. Ambassador Vesna Batistić Kos is the head of the EU Delegation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. She is the representative of the EU vis-a-vis the Council of Europe and represents the EU in the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe decision-making body and its rapporteur groups. She also coordinates the EU Member States’ action to the Council of Europe, where there is a need to implement EU external action. In this episode you will learn about the priorities and the common objective of the Council of Europe and the European Union. This episode is recorded in May 2024.

This episode of Who Rules the World? Podcast is devoted to the newly established UN Youth Office. Lukas talks to our guest from the UN Youth Office, Programme Management Officer for Youth Engagement Romeral Ortiz Quintillà. Romeral Ortiz Quintillà has over 10 years of experience in youth strategies focusing on program and project design, implementation, and monitoring. She has worked at country, regional, and global levels, with expertise in youth participation in peace-building Civic engagement and meaningful youth participation. Listen to this discussion to find out more about youth engagement via UN Youth Office.

This episode of the "Who Rules the World?" podcast features a dynamic discussion with Tomás Fenati, a successful content creator from Buenos Aires, Argentina and #OurVoiceOurFuture champion. The episode aims to explore how Tomás leverages social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to educate and inspire a global audience on topics such as history, politics, economics, and LGBTIQ+ rights.

In this episode Lukas and Giulia answer the questions that the followers of their social media accounts have asked. They discuss how they became EU Youth Delegates, what were/are the challenges and how does their experience feel now in comparison to their expectations before they started. Why is youth representation in the international organizations important?

In this episode, Giulia and Lukas are finding out more about President Röpke's work with youth and beyond. President Röpke has been championing youth in all his activities, setting up Youth Group inside the EESC, implementing the EU Youth Test, as well as including youth at the table when discussion topics of importance for them (i.e. EESC had a youth delegate joining our EESC Delegation to COP28). Youth was also an integral part of the Civil Society Week, which we organised only last week, outlining the demands of the civil society for the next EU leaders. The episode was recorded during the UN Commission on Status of Women in March 2024.

n this episode, Giulia and Lukas interviewed the Trainees at the European Union Delegation Audrey Gourdein and Gijs Van Doorn. They are finding out details about their application and selection process, about their work at the Delegation, their general experience, and why they believe that it is important to apply, reflecting on the important role of the European Union in the United Nations. This episode was recorded in October 2023.

In this episode Giulia and Lukas have a special guest, Helena Dalli first European Commissioner for Equality. They will discuss the priorities of United Nations second largest annual gathering – Commission on Status of Women (CSW68) with this years’ theme being “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty”; European regulations and how to achieve a Union of equality; and what does it take for us to create societies around the world where women and grils are free from violence and discrimination, to lead and thrive in society. #UnionOfequality #CSW68

EU Youth Delegates Giulia and Lukas talk with one of the youngest climate and environment activists around: Francisco Vera from Columbia. Francisco has been a climate activist since the age of six, now 14yo; he has founded and developed a network of school students implementing environment education in their schools. He has published the book “Que es el cambio climático”, now also translated into Arabic. Recently, Francisco has been appointed by UNICEF as 1st Environment & Climate Defender for LAC. Francisco speaks about his activism, reminding the audience about the #ForOurPlanet campaign that is organised by EU institutions. The campaign encourages all citizens and civil society to take action #ForOurPlanet, including tree planting, restoring mangroves, city greening and taking environmental actions at home, like turning your garden into an attractive place for pollinators.

In this episode of the Who Rules the World? podcast, Giulia talks with Marian Abukayo Murunga, a young woman, co-founder and executive director of the Border Hub, a women-led NGO in Kenya. Marian is also a member of EU Youth Sounding Board. You will hear about how she become and activist, about her experience in implementing projects around women, girls and young people. She speaks about her role do you have as being part of the EU Youth Sounding Board, how she encourages young people to start asserting themselves about the issues they are passionate about and what is her advice to the UN Secretary General.

In this episode of the Who Rules the World? podcast, Lukas and Giulia talk to Laith Al Barmawi, who is a youth and social activist from Jordan. Laith has been working with local and global organizations to empower youth in the entrepreneurial and environmental sectors, in addition to his studies as an Energy Engineer. He is an active member at Global Shapers Community and is always keen on creating a positive impact in the community. He is also thrilled to be a member of Our Voice Our Future campaign by EU’s Diplomatic Service, and exchange his experience with other members from around the world. Currently, Laith is working as a Communications and Creative Content Officer at the Business Development Center (BDC) in Jordan. His passion in empowering youth led him to start his journey as a podcaster. He is now co-hosting a podcast called “In the Twenties” on Podqasti app., where he discusses everything that youth in their twenties can experience, with a special guest in each episode.

In this episode of the Who Rules the World? podcast, Lukas talks with president of the free Belorusian national youth council RADA and advisor on Youth Policy and Students to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Marharyta (Margo) Vorykhava. From January 2024 she is a member of the Advisory Council on Youth of Council of Europe. She received the award Young Woman of Europe 2O23. To mark 10 December, Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) - listen to this episode to find out how is it for the Belarus youth today.

In this episode of the second season of the Who Rules the World? podcast, hosted by Giulia and Lukas, you will hear the impressive story of Kyrylo Demchenko, Ukrainian Youth Delegate, and how the Ukrainian youth is showing an admirable strength in the fight for common European values.

Guest: Ambassador Olof Skoog, Head of the European Union Delegation to the United Nations, New York. This episode of a new season of the podcast Who Runs the World? is hosted by Giulia and Lukas, EU Youth Delegates. The special guest, the Ambassador of the European Delegation to the United Nations Olof Skoog talks about EU during UN General Assembly opening week, EU and involvement of youth in the processes and what is coming up next for him. This episode was recorded on 29 September 2023. For more, follow @EUatUN (X/IG) and @EUYouthDelegate (X).

Guests: Giulia Tariello and Lukas Svana, the New EU Youth Delegates. This episode of the Who Rules the World podcast is special. In this episode, Lucija and Nadia welcome and introduce the newly elected EU Youth Delegates and hosts of the podcast, and say goodbye to their mandate and to the podcast as its hosts. Lucija, Nadia, Giulia and Lukas speak about the EU YD program, the priorities of the new YDs, and reminisce on how it has been for the pioneers of the EU YDs program.

Guest: Paul Skoczylas, Deputy Director, World Food Programme New York. More than 80 percent of the world’s most food-insecure people are being hit by extreme weather and other stresses such as land degradation and pest infestation. In 2021, climate extremes were the predominant driver for acute hunger in 8 countries, affecting 23.5 million people. The World Food Programme, the world’s largest humanitarian organization dedicated to fighting hunger, is helping food insecure communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate shocks and other stresses. In this episode you will hear concrete examples of how does the World Food Programme helps and supports struggling population/communities.

Guest: Kryštof Stupka, Former Czech UN Youth Delegate. In the Pride month episode, Nadia focuses, with her interlocutor Kryštof Stupka, on the current outlooks of the LGBTIQ community and their acceptance in the world. Kryštof speaks about his perspective of the topic and how does his activism contribute to securing LGBTIQ rights as human rights. They also discuss how to be more engaged and supportive to the LGBTIQ community.

Guest: Ricardo Pineda, Director and Co-founder Sustenta Honduras, one of the largest youth-led organizations in the region working on adaptation and capacity building towards climate change. The climate conference COP28 seeks to scale up climate adaptation, and will play a key role in the UNFCCC negotiations, at the end of 2023. On issues like these, youth must have their say and play their role. Ricardo Pineda has experience on the ground in climate adaptation and capacity building, through Sustenta Honduras, one of the first youth-led organizations on climate action in the region. Nadia and Lucija are discussing with Ricardo concrete examples of climate actions, the link with protecting fundamental human rights and how multilateral organisations can foster meaningful participation of youth. Interviewers: The interview will be carried out by two Youth Delegates of the EU Delegation, Lucija and Nadia.

Guest: Johanna Lichtschlag, UN Youth Delegate Germany and Hung Ly, UN Youth Delegate Finland. Decent work is a fundamental human right and the focus of SDG 8, and yet, young people around the world continue to face significant barriers to finding and securing decent employment opportunities. The topic of this WRW episode is the issue of ensuring decent jobs for young people as a key component of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Lucija and Nadia explore this issue with their guests, also in the context of the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum 2023.

Guest: Richard Gowan, UN Director, International Crisis Group. As we are marking the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace on 24 April and Europe Day on 9 May, in this episode Lucija and Nadia are exploring the meaning of the word ’multilateralism’ together with their guest Richard Gowan, UN Director, International Crisis Group. They also discuss EU’s role in the multilateral world.

Guests: Gerard Tuii Anapu and maybe Nathalie Gasaro, United Nations President of General Assembly (PGA) Fellows. This episode speaks about the importance of Oceans and its power and what should be done to protect it. Gerard is focusing on his country, beautiful Samoa, and speaks about the actions taken to protect the ocean and he environment. Natalie talks about how the ocean-issues discussions in the UN need to be science-based and reflect the urgency of taking action. PGA Fellow Program is ensuring that young professionals have access to diplomacy and decision making processes in the UN.

In 9th episode, the guest is Paul Siniga, speaker of the Fourth East African Youth Parliament, Tanzanian Entrepreneur, Influencer and a champion of #OurVoiceOurFuture global campaign initiated by the Diplomatic Service of the European Union. Paul speaks about the importance of Human Rights globally, youth inclusion and keeping those in power accountable. Paul also comments on the significance of the cooperation of the European Union and African Union as regional organisations. Nadia and Lucija’s exchange with Paul about the anniversary of Human Rights Declaration covers the important topic of what needs to happen related to this issue in the next 75 five years and beyond.

“The UN 2023 Water Conference in March must result in a bold Water Action Agenda that gives our world's lifeblood the commitment it deserves,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In the margins of the UN Water Conference, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York City from 22-24 March, this episode of EU Talks focuses on Clean Water. Water is the most basic human need. The question is, do we have a common sense of protecting it? This EU Talks episode also covers many aspects of water beyond the Water Conference. Participant Christopher Swain, Advocate for Clean Water and Universal Human Rights, also known as Toxic Swimmer, is in conversation with European Union Youth Delegates Lucija and Nadia.

Guests: European External Action Service (EEAS) Secretary General Stefano Sannino and European Union Ambassador for Gender and Diversity Stella Ronner- Grubačić. In this episode, Nadia and Lucija are in conversation with the two European Union high-level officials on several issues involving women’s rights. They mention International Women’s Day, Women's rights globally & EU Action, and United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women (CSW) 67, which is taking place in the UN HQ in New York from 6-17 March. The Focus of this year’s CSW is Digital. Tune in to hear more about all these topics and thoughts on how to overcome the digital and gender divide.

The guest of the 6th Episode is Jessica Mshama, Tanzanian Entrepreneur, CEO J Sisters Company, activist, artist and a champion of #OurVoiceOurFuture global campaign initiated by the Diplomatic Service of the European Union. Jessica speaks about her journey as a young women entrepreneur in Tanzania and explains what  the campaign meant for her as a young leader. Jessica’s activism and work focus on women and girls' economic empowerment, youth leadership and digital transformation and innovation. Nadia and Lucija’s exchange with Jessica about UN Commission for Social Development (CSoCD) covers the important topic of creating full and productive employment and decent work for all as their discussion also focuses on decent jobs.

Episode 5 of the Who Rules the World Podcast by EU Youth Delegates Nadia and Lucija features this time Anda Bologa, Political Attaché for the Fifth Committee (5C) at the EU Delegation to the UN. Anda talked with María Reyes Fernández, Counsellor for Fifth Committee at the Spanish Mission to the UN. This episode covers the way the UN budget is negotiated and adopted. The episode is walking listeners through the many challenges and opportunities that diplomats face during this process. The main aim of UN Budget negations is to fund essential UN mandates.

Guest: Boštjan Videmšek, Journalist, Author, European Climate Pact Ambassador in Slovenia, writer, ultra-marathon runner, climate activist, member of the President's climate advisory board. Human Rights Day is 10 December. Lucija talked to her guest about the shifts in the field of human rights - where has the world made improvements and where had human rights backslid; what were the biggest milestones in the field of human rights in recent years. Discussion also covers the links between human rights and climate crises; the role of youth and digitization.

Guest: Olivia Adhiambo, Africa policy specialist with over 10 years work across various conservation NGOs The UN Biodiversity COP15 took place in Montreal, Canada from 7 to 19 December. The conference determines the action on nature protection in the coming years. This is a challenging task, as we do not only need ambitious goals on protecting nature, but we also need global goals to be implemented and make a change locally. Among many things, this requires that local and indigenous people’s rights to nature are respected and that their knowledge of nature protection is recognized. That said, many more initiatives are needed. This episode will discuss the key points needed at COP15 that will ensure that the goals of COP15 do not end up unachieved as the Aichi goals from COP14 are, but instead potentially enables us to get on track to living in harmony with nature.

Episode 2 of Who Rules the World podcast, recorded by Youth Delegate Nadia, is a live conversation that took place in the heart of Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt where COP27 takes place. Nadia’s interlocutor is Joshua Amponsem, who is the climate lead to the UN’s Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth and the founder of the Green Africa Youth Organization - a youth-led organization that empowers young people to work with environmental sustainability. In this episode, you will hear a description of the different youth initiatives at COP27 and how do they function. In addition, you can hear what can be done in the future to improve youth involvement at COP28 and beyond.

"Who Rules the World" is a new podcast by European Union to the United Nations Youth Delegates Lucija Karnelutti and Nadia Gullestrup Christensen. In Episode 1, Lucija chats with the UN Secretary-General's Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric about the importance of the UN, how can youth get involved, and how a faulty escalator can bring the UN to a halt.