UN News Interviews - 2025

Natalia Kanem, the head of the UN sexual and reproductive rights agency, UNFPA, is stepping down, after a tumultuous eight-year tenure that has seen her, and her colleagues, uphold the rights of women and girls in the face of a global pandemic, ideological pushback and political instability.

Ahead of her departure, Mita Hosali from UN News sat down with Dr. Kanem and looked back at some of the key achievements of UNFPA during her time in charge and reflect on the kinds of support that young women will need from the agency in years to come.

Audio: UN News/ Mita Hosali
Photo: UN Photo/ Srdjan Slavkovic

Standing up for ‘the dignity of life’: Natalia Kanem steps down as UNFPA boss

Human trafficking is a global threat driven by organised crime and each year, more and more women, children and men are being exploited, including for forced labour and sex. 

That’s according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which works to provide humanitarian, legal and economic assistance to survivors.  

Through the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons (UNVTF), the UN prioritises working with grassroot organisations carrying out survivor-led initiatives, facilitating on-the-ground assistance and protection to victims of trafficking.  

On the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, UN News’s Emma Trager-Lewis met with Mira Sorvino, Oscar-winning actress and UNODC’s Goodwill Ambassador for the global fight against human trafficking. 

Audio Credit: Emma Trager-Lewis, UN News

‘Nothing about them, without them’: human trafficking survivors need to have a seat at every table

Some 1.3 million people displaced. 5.7 million people not getting enough food. How do you even begin to conceive of the magnitude of Haiti’s crisis, borne from years of political insecurity, gang violence and climate shocks? And how do you begin to feed the country? 

For Pierre Vauthier, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Haiti, hope lies in smaller, locally-driven solutions which empower communities to take control of their own food production.  

A school feeding programme, for example, which instead of financing imported food, uses funds to expand the capacities of local farmers, not only feeds children but also generates rural self-sufficiency. 

UN News’ Naima Sawaya spoke with Mr. Vauthier to learn more about FAO’s work in Haiti and why he remains hopeful for Haiti’s future.   

Feeding Haiti, a big problem that needs smaller, local solutions

In Sudan, as violent conflict between forces of the Sudanese military and their rival Rapid Support Forces militia rages for its third year, women are facing the brunt of the humanitarian crisis. 

Female-led households struggle to access food, girls and women face high risks of exploitation and abuse when trying to access humanitarian aid, and all the while, A accessible women-run organizations are vastly under-resourced. 

Salvator Nkurunziza, the UN Women representative in Sudan, sat down with UN News’s Abdelmonem Makki to discuss the struggles women face in Sudan and the solutions that should be implemented. 

Audio Credit: Abdelmonem Makki, UN News
Photo Credit: UN News

Female-led households bear the brunt on Sudan’s brutal frontlines

In Gaza, women and girls have been bearing the brunt of the catastrophic humanitarian situation for the past 22 months.   

In addition to the constant threat of sexual violence, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in the enclave face a daily struggle to get the help they need.  

Despite the continuing devastation – as Israel moves to assert more military control over the enclave – the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners are mobilised and working around the clock to provide life-saving services on the ground, as UN News’s Nathalie Minard has been hearing from Laila Baker, Regional Director for Arab States for UNFPA.

Audio Credit: Nathalie Minard, UN News
Photo Credit: © UNFPA

Gaza: Nothing could have prepared me for the level of devastation I witnessed

People in Haiti are living through “hell on earth,” according to William O’Neill, the UN’s designated expert on human rights in Haiti.  

Armed gangs – predominantly in the capital Port-au-Prince – are parasitically extracting financial resources from the population and perpetrating horrific acts of violence, he says – but they’re just one cog in a larger cycle of impunity, corruption and violence. 

Following the release of the most recent report on human rights in Haiti, UN News’ Naima Sawaya spoke to Mr. O’Neill about whether a path forward to peace even exists. She began by asking if he had ever met a gang leader. 

‘Hell on earth’: Desperation in Haiti as human rights violations abound

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Standing up for ‘the dignity of life’: Natalia Kanem steps down as UNFPA boss

United Nations News