Inside Geneva: pandemics and climate change, can multilateralism still work?

The world just agreed a pandemic treaty. But without the United States. Is it really a milestone?
Inside Geneva
Subscribe to
-
Apple PodcastsExternal link
-
SpotifyExternal link
-
Amazon MusicExternal link
-
Podcast IndexExternal link
-
OvercastExternal link
-
YouTubeExternal link
-
iHeartRadioExternal link
-
PandoraExternal link
-
Podcast AddictExternal link
-
CastroExternal link
-
CastboxExternal link
-
PodchaserExternal link
-
Pocket CastsExternal link
-
DeezerExternal link
-
Listen NotesExternal link
-
Player FMExternal link
-
GoodpodsExternal link
-
True FansExternal link
- Buzzsprout RSS Feed External link
“It is a major step forward. I mean, just imagine if we failed. We would not only go back to the point before the pandemic, before Covid-19 struck us, we’d go back to a point much further back,” said Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein from the International Peace Institute.
But what about the global challenge of climate change?
“We’re up against a ticking clock. And even though we’ve enjoyed successes in the past, even though the renewables rollout is going rather well, it’s all too little, too late from the point of view of avoiding genuinely dangerous degrees of warming,” says climate security expert Peter Schwartzstein.
Why can’t world leaders really unite around global challenges?
“Their children and grandchildren have to deal with abominable and extreme heat levels and forest fires and fierce hurricanes and no trade and collapsed economies and extreme food security and complete anarchy. Is this what they wish for their children. What form of love is that?” continues al Hussein.
Join host Imogen Foulkes on Inside Geneva for in-depth analysis of where we stand.
Find out more about the ‘Inside Geneva’ podcast and our other Swiss podcasts in English here.
Subscribe below to the ‘Inside Geneva’ newsletter to make sure you never miss a new episode.

In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.