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Protect the watchdogs: Journalism, justice, & accountability
Journalists are often the whistleblowers exposing high-level corruption.
UNODC’s Delphine Schantz explains why we must engage and protect reporters, equip them with investigative tools, and strengthen criminal justice systems so accountability isn’t optional.
Excerpt from a Global Stage livestream at UN HQ on the International Day of Democracy at the 80th UN General Assembly.
Watch more of GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft, from the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly here: gzeromedia.com/globalstage
Participation = trust: Malawi’s citizens’ juries deliver democracy
Public trust isn’t a “nice to have," it’s the foundation of democracy.
Ambassador Agnes Mary Chimbiri-Molande explains how citizens’ juries in Malawi bring people into local budgeting and development decisions, building transparency and trust by design.
Excerpt from a Global Stage livestream at UN HQ on the International Day of Democracy at the 80th UN General Assembly.
Watch more of GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft, from the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly here: gzeromedia.com/globalstage
How can data and AI transform humanitarian action?
As the United Nations turns 80, the urgency to rethink global cooperation has never been greater. In a live broadcast from the UN headquarters and moderated by GZERO Media’s Global Chief Content Officer, Tony Maciulis, an expert panel gathered to discuss if AI and data can reshape a strained multilateral system to meet today’s crises.
The conversation featured top UN officials and global partners reflecting on both the challenges and opportunities ahead. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, UN, emphasized that multilateralism remains essential but requires sharper results. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, noted cautious progress in peace diplomacy while warning of extreme strain on humanitarian workers. Ugo Daniels, Deputy Director, International Organization for Migration, highlighted how data can shift focus from temporary relief to durable migration solutions.
The second panel expanded the lens: Dr. Comfort Ero, President & CEO, International Crisis Group, warned that with 62 conflicts worldwide, the UN remains indispensable but must evolve; Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, CEO & President, VillageReach; former head of Africa CDC, urged better crisis preparedness and stronger community engagement with their own data; and Gunn Jorid Roset, Director General, Norad, reaffirmed Norway’s support for reform and evidence-based aid.
Across both panels, one theme resonated: technology alone cannot end wars, heal trauma, or feed the hungry. But combined with reform, political will, and smarter partnerships, better use of data and AI can help the UN deliver solutions.
This livestream, “Rethink, Reset, Deliver Better with Data and AI,” was an event produced in partnership between the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, or CRAF’d, and GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft.
The UN at 80: Reform, multilateralism & the Global South’s voice
"It’s the only space right now that the Global South has for multilateralism," says Ambassador Philip Thigo, special envoy on technology for the Republic of Kenya.
At 80 years, the UN faces calls for reform. Leaders argue that the Global South is driving consensus on key resolutions and that future multilateralism must also include private sector, civil society, and academia.
Watch more Global Stage coverage from the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly here: gzeromedia.com/globalstage
President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas on pre-recorded video, addresses the UNGA 80 Plenary Meeting General Debate.
What We’re Watching: Gaza talks heat up at UN, Another coordinated drone move in Europe, Czechia’s Trump eyes comeback
Palestinian Authority president pushes statehood in remote address to UN
Denied a US visa, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly remotely from Ramallah, accusing Israel of “war crimes” and “genocide” in Gaza while rejecting Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and calling for the terrorist group to disarm. He claimed that the Palestinian Authority was ready to govern Gaza without Hamas, and said they are committed to “conducting presidential and parliamentary elections within a year after the end of the war.” His speech came as 10 Western nations joined roughly 150 others in recognizing Palestinian statehood this week, and after the Trump administration presented a plan for ending the war in Gaza on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Israeli leaders are threatening West Bank annexation and deepening their offensive in Gaza City. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will respond tomorrow morning when he addresses the General Assembly.
“Professional” drone intrusion at four Danish airports
In what Danish ministers are calling a “professional” and “systematic” act, drones were spotted at four regional airports in the Scandinavian country. Two of these airports are used by military aircraft. The intrusion comes days after drones incurred into the airspace of Copenhagen airport, the country’s largest. It’s not yet clear who is behind the move, but Europeans are asking whether Moscow was involved, given that Russian drones recently entered the respective airspaces of Estonia, Poland, and Romania. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen didn’t rule out Russian involvement in this latest action, and ministers refused to connect it as yet. Russia denied that it was involved.
The EU is about to get Czeched
Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, a billionaire rightwing populist, is set for a triumphant return to power in Czechia’s upcoming general election. Babiš, who held power from 2017 to 2021, is ferociously anti-immigration, skeptical of support for Ukraine, and opposed to what he sees as EU encroachments on Czech sovereignty. With less than two weeks until election day, his ANO party leads the polls by more than 10 points over the current center-right governing coalition. His likely win will strengthen a Eurosceptic axis of former Eastern Bloc countries, complicating EU policy on immigration and Ukraine.
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends the 80th United Nations General Assembly, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 23, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Trump reverses position on Ukraine, Thailand gets a new government, the US to use AI to restrain bioweapons
Zelensky curries Trump’s favor at the UN
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Ukraine can “fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” a dramatic reversal from his past suggestions that Kyiv consider ceding territory to end the war—and a prediction that would require Ukraine to drive Russia from nearly 20% of its land. He later urged NATO to shoot down drones violating its airspace. After their meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters they he came away understanding that "[Trump] will give Ukraine security guarantees after this war will end," but that he didn't have specific details.
Thailand swears in a new government, again.
Perhaps this time’s the charm as Thailand on Wednesday swore in its third government in under two years. Prime Minister Anutin Charnivirakil, a pragmatic business tycoon and former health minister, takes charge of one of Southeast Asia’s major economies following the recent removal of his predecessor Paetongtarn Shinawatra over ethics violations. Anutin’s small party will need to govern with larger partners at a moment of political upheaval and economic uncertainty. What’s more, he must call national elections within four months, giving him precious little time to right a listing ship.
Can AI restrain bioweapons?
Amid all the hoopla around Trump’s UN remarks, this line flew largely under the radar: “I'm announcing today that my administration will lead an international effort to enforce biological weapons convention … by pioneering an AI verification system that everyone can trust.” Those two concepts — biological weapons and AI — have previously been combined in a very different sense: that AI might enable bad actors to more easily design novel bioweapons. This new aspiration begs myriad questions; answers might emerge before the UN’s biological weapons workshop in December.
Using AI to diagnose patients with a smartphone but no healthcare access
Artificial intelligence is often seen as a futuristic tool—but for some global health challenges, it’s already the only solution. Dr. Juan Lavista Ferres, Microsoft's Chief Data Scientist, Corporate Vice President, and Lab Director for the AI for Good Lab, points to a powerful example: diagnosing a leading cause of childhood blindness in newborns.
In this Global Stage conversation from the 2025 STI Forum at the United Nations, Ferres explains how AI is being used to detect retinopathy of prematurity, a condition affecting premature babies that now ranks as the world’s top cause of childhood blindness. The problem? There aren’t nearly enough pediatric ophthalmologists to meet global demand—and without early diagnosis, the condition often leads to permanent vision loss.
“We have AI models today that can diagnose this from your smartphone,” says Ferres. “This is just one example where AI is not just the solution—it’s the only solution we have.”
He argues that technology like this can empower doctors, not replace them, and help close critical gaps in healthcare access. With billions of people still lacking adequate care, Ferres believes AI can be a transformative force for scaling health services—if deployed thoughtfully and equitably.
This conversation is presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft, from the 2025 STI Forum at the United Nations in New York. The Global Stage series convenes global leaders for critical conversations on the geopolitical and technological trends shaping our world.
See more at https://www.gzeromedia.com/global-stage/un-sti-forum/ai-trends-in-2025-that-drive-progress-on-global-goals
AI adoption starts in the C-suite
As artificial intelligence becomes a foundational force in global business, many companies are rushing to adopt it—but not all are ready. According to Caitlin Dean, Director and Deputy Head of Corporates at Eurasia Group, success with AI isn’t just about access to the latest tools. It depends on leadership that actually understands what those tools can do.
In this Global Stage conversation from the 2025 STI Forum at the United Nations, Dean explains that while some large tech firms are integrating AI at the core of their business models, most companies are still in the early stages—using turnkey solutions to boost productivity without a clear long-term strategy. That gap, she warns, is a leadership problem.
Dean argues that organizations need more than just engineers. They need business leaders who are AI-literate—strategists who understand the technology deeply enough to apply it in meaningful, forward-looking ways. Without that, companies risk falling behind, not just in innovation, but in relevance.
This conversation is presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft, from the 2025 STI Forum at the United Nations in New York. The Global Stage series convenes global leaders for critical conversations on the geopolitical and technological trends shaping our world.
See more at https://www.gzeromedia.com/global-stage/un-sti-forum/ai-trends-in-2025-that-drive-progress-on-global-goals