Inside Geneva
Inside Geneva is a podcast about global politics, humanitarian issues, and international aid, hosted by journalist Imogen Foulkes. It is produced by SWI swissinfo.ch, a multilingual international public service media company from Switzerland.
Is Afghanistan guilty of gender apartheid?
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This week on our Inside Geneva podcast, we ask whether the world has forgotten women in Afghanistan.
Under Taliban rule, they cannot work, go to secondary school, leave the house alone or even visit a public park.
Human rights defenders say the world is looking away. Some argue that what’s happening in Afghanistan amounts to gender apartheid and want it recognised as a crime under international law.
They also warn that if the repression of women in Afghanistan is not challenged, it could happen in other coun...
From Kabul to Fiji in the fight for gender equality
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What takes a woman from a law career in Australia to Somalia, Afghanistan and then…Fiji?
On our Inside Geneva podcast, host Imogen Foulkes talks to UN Women’s Alison Davidian about being in Kabul when the Taliban returned and about the effects of climate change and rising sea levels on women’s livelihoods. They also discuss why men and boys should never feel threatened by gender equality.
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Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.chTwitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swi...International Gender Champions speak out
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Diversity, equality, inclusion, woke: are these concepts now toxic?
The past two years have seen a pushback against gender equality, and it is having real-world consequences for women and girls.
Yet in Geneva, the International Gender Champions, led by senior diplomats, are not giving up.
“I embrace wokeness,” one ambassador tells us. The data shows that equality benefits everyone, socially, economically and politically. So why is it so out of fashion?
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Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.chTwitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissi...Gaza: Ceasefire, sort of. Reconstruction, no.
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It’s been ten months since the ceasefire in Gaza. Almost a million people still live in tents. There are 60 million tonnes of rubble to clear.
The UN estimates reconstruction will cost at least $70 billion. But the work has not started. Key building materials are being denied entry, there is little clean water, but many rats.
Inside Geneva talks to Jehan Salim and Mohammed al Aklouk, aid workers from the Norwegian Refugee Council, about the huge task and the very limited resources.
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Pushback on human rights: defenders speak out
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UN investigations have documented war crimes in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. So why is no one being held accountable?
Why do some political leaders talk about human rights as though they were an optional nuisance?
In this episode of our ‘Inside Geneva’ podcast, we speak with Phil Lynch and Pooja Patel from the International Service for Human Rights. We discuss impunity, scapegoating, funding cuts, standing up for our rights and much more.
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Inside Geneva’s Summer Profiles: Philippe Stoll
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Philippe Stoll, the Red Cross’s ‘techplomat’, is Inside Geneva’s Summer Profile this week.
“I studied economics and I think I could have been a banker or something like that. A good Swiss indeed! But my mother was a volunteer at the Red Cross, and I think she influenced me a lot about maybe being human or taking care of humans,” he says.
He’s helping the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) develop a new digital emblem to warn cyber warriors against attacking protected structures like hospital s...
Inside Geneva’s Summer Profiles: Trish Newport
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Trish Newport of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Switzerland is Inside Geneva’s first summer profile this year.
“My grandma was a humanitarian she had worked in Malawi and I remember when I was about 10 years old she said to me, ‘When you grow up and you become a humanitarian, you should work for MSF because they really have strong values and ethics that you will appreciate,’” says Newport.
Originally from Canada, she has worked all over the world, in the most challenging environments.
“I worked a lot in acute...
Can a woman lead the UN?
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On Inside Geneva this week, we look at the race to be the next UN Secretary-General. Is it time for a change?
Susana Malcorra, candidate for UN Secretary-General 2016: 'I am deeply convinced this is a moment that requires a different type of leadership, and we have tested leadership nine leaders throughout 80 years that were all men.'
Geneva recently hosted three of the candidates – we hear from them. What are their plans?
Rebeca Grynspan, candidate for Secretary-General: 'My criteria of success as secretary general is that nobody wi...
Books to make you think
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This week, Inside Geneva presents the newest instalment of our “Books to make you think” series.
We talk to an author who had a ringside seat as the US development agency USAID was being destroyed.
“The people who so recklessly tore down the agency [...] are still sitting in high government positions and have not been held accountable for their actions, so I intentionally named names in the book and explained exactly who was responsible and why,” says Nicholas Enrich, author of Into the Wood Chipper.
“USAID was destroyed...
What’s the point of foreign aid?
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On our Inside Geneva podcast this week, we host a debate on a key question: what’s the point of foreign aid?
“What’s the point of mobilising taxpayers’ money and sending it to faraway countries to assist vulnerable people? And how do you sell that to your own taxpayers?” says Gilles Carbonnier, former Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
There are more conflicts and greater needs, yet donor countries want to spend less.
“What’s the point of mobilising taxpayers’ money and sending it to fa...
Is aid failing?
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On this week's Inside Geneva podcast episode, we take stock of aid cuts and what they mean for new crises such as Ebola.
“It is a catastrophe. It is not an opportunity. But now we have an obligation to transform the system: there’s no other way the humanitarian system can survive this crisis without any change,” says Professor Karl Blanchet from the University of Geneva.
A new report says aid delivery must change, but huge cuts are not the way.
“The suspension of funding by major donors...
Who controls landmines and drones?
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On Inside Geneva, we look at weapons contamination and the harm it causes.
“We have at least one casualty every single day in Afghanistan – someone killed or injured –and it is most likely a child,” says Nick Pond, from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
From old conflicts to new.
“Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe and billions of square metres of land are suspected to be contaminated, which means they can’t be farmed,” says Paul Heslop, from the UN Mine Action, Ukraine.
And from old weapons...
Challenges to press freedom
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On Inside Geneva this week, we mark Press Freedom Day. Is there anything to celebrate?
Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression: “The role of journalists has never been under such pressure, and the sector itself is suffering. So these are very, very important times to take a deep breath and make sure that freedom of expression, and media freedom as part of that, is protected, because it is an extremely important pillar of democracy.”
Increasingly, journalists are being attacked simply for reporting the facts.
Anto...
Can the UN survive?
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On Inside Geneva this week, we ask: in a world of violent conflict, is the UN – which was founded to keep the peace – doing its job?
“On many fronts the UN is doing indispensable work every day, bringing food to hungry people and ensuring practical standards for how we cooperate on the planet. Most countries follow the UN’s rules and principles on an everyday basis, so not too bad. [Former UN Secretary-General] Dag Hammarskjöld said that the UN was not made to take us to heaven, but to prevent us from g...
Inside Geneva: women in peace
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On Inside Geneva this week: who are the peacemakers?
“Women are completely absent in high-level politics and from high-level peacemaking at the moment. However, this is only the visible part. Our focus has been so much on US President Donald Trump,” says Sara Hellmüller, professor of International Relations at the Geneva Graduate Institute.
Two peace experts, both women, give us their take.
“Traditionally, we have seen a low representation of women as mediators. There is a systemic issue inherent in how we understand peace processes, in which wo...
Inside Geneva: Myanmar, women and justice
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On Inside Geneva this week, we look at women fighting for justice.
In 2017, Myanmar’s military launched an assault on the Rohingya population. Almost a million were displaced, there were reports of horrific violations: rape, the murder of children, including babies.
“The accounts that affected me most are those of children. Now I’m a grandfather, I sit there and listen and I think of my own kids when they were young and my grandkids now. How can you not?,” says Chris Sidoti from the Myanmar fact-finding mission.
The UN...
Inside Geneva: what justice means for women in Afghanistan
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In August 2021, the Taliban took back control in Afghanistan. Women face unprecedented repression.
They can’t go to school or work; public parks are banned to them; they are not allowed to speak or sing too loudly. Are we turning away?
“This is the time for the international community and for other countries, especially the EU, to step in and to make sure they respond to the crisis in Afghanistan and stand with the women of Afghanistan and to do everything they can to protect their rights,” says Fereshta Abbasi...
What’s our problem with immigration?
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On Inside Geneva this week, we unpick the divisive topic of migration and asylum. Why are some countries closing their doors?
“In Europe we are seeing one country after another erect barbed wire around their country and around a continent,” says Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
When does restricting immigration turn into human rights violation?
“We believe it’s within the rights of any government to set immigration policies that they believe make sense for their country and electorate. But setting lawful immigration policies...
The Board of Peace, war and impunity
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On Inside Geneva this week, we take an in-depth look at US President Donald Trump’s new ‘Board of Peace’. Experts on conflict resolution are sceptical.
“The US circulated an invitation to about 60 countries to join a new board of peace that would not just focus on Gaza but would instead be a global conflict prevention organisation, complete with a pre-baked charter that looks a bit like President Trump took the protocols for a golf club in New Jersey,” says Richard Gowan from the International Crisis Group.
Still, the new board...
Can a science and diplomacy partnership save the world?
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On Inside Geneva this week: world leaders are gathering in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos, but do they have any answers?
“I think we are at an amazing moment in history. We have in our hands the opportunity to do well, to save our own environment, the planet, to take the right decisions to bring humanity onto a good path,” says Marilyne Andersen, Director General of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA).
But will they take that path? Technology is racing ahead.
“Human rights, like every...
Inside Geneva Special: A bonfire of international law
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2026 has started with some momentous events. Israel has banned dozens of aid agencies. What are the consequences?
“We’re supporting one in five of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip, and one in three babies that are born in Gaza are assisted by our staff on the ground. We’re doing surgical support, wound care, physiotherapy, maternity and paediatric care,” says Chris Lockyear, Secretary General of Medecins sans Frontieres.
The US cut billions from foreign aid, then announced $2 billion for selected projects.
“[We saw] Tom Fletcher next to Jeremy...
Looking back at 2025, and looking forward to 2026
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This week on Inside Geneva, we discuss the key stories of 2025 that we know will continue to make the news in 2026.
“The top story of 2025 has been the cuts to the humanitarian aid sector. We knew that, with Donald Trump returning to the White House, cuts were likely, but we did not expect them to be so brutal,” says Swissinfo journalist Dorian Burkhalter.
“I wanted to talk about Gaza, which has been one of the main issues I’ve been writing about for the past two years. It has been, in...
Peace talks but the war grinds on
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Inside Geneva joins aid workers staying in Ukraine this December.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) supports tens of thousands of people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Marcel van Maastrigt, UNHCR, Odessa: ‘At two in the afternoon you might have an air alert, and at three in the afternoon people in shops and restaurants are putting up Christmas decorations, because they want to continue their life. I think it's understandable.’
MSF (Doctors without Borders) works in hospitals on the front line.
Robin Meldrum, MSF, Ukrai...
Inside Geneva: Are we throwing away international law?
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On Inside Geneva this week: what does international law mean to you?
“When your government is not there to uphold your rights, it’s that safety net – to think that there’s something else out there, other sets of rules that can help right wrongs and bring about some form of justice as well,” says Kasmira Jefford, editor at Geneva Solutions.
The Geneva conventions, bans on torture and landmines: global rules that should protect us. And international courts to ensure accountability.
“I think there's a different expectation, a different h...
Inside Geneva: is climate change the forgotten crisis?
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COP30 has ended without a firm commitment to phase out fossil fuels. Inside Geneva talks to some campaigners who remain surprisingly optimistic.
“I’m actually quite hopeful, and I think that the answer is probably coming from the countries and the communities that have the most to lose,” says Candy Ofime, from the Climate Justice Team at Amnesty International.
Indigenous peoples made their voices heard at COP30.
They have deep knowledge of land use and forest preservation, which can help us tackle global warming.
“The answer i...
War and the press
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How do journalists report on war when they’re denied access?
“For the first time I think since the Second World War, Israel has not allowed foreign journalists to come into Gaza. This is unprecedented,” says Israeli journalist Meron Rapoport.
Palestinian journalists, who live in Gaza, have paid a terrible price for their reporting.
“Gaza has been a horror story. The Committee to Protect Journalists estimates that around 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed in the past two years,” says Nick Cumming-Bruce, contributor for the New York Times.
Many...
Taking the pulse of the UN at 80
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This week on Inside Geneva, we take the pulse of the United Nations as it turns 80.
“Someone celebrating their 80th birthday cannot be expected to be in tip-top shape. The UN is an old lady,” says Corinne Momal-Vanian, executive director at the Kofi Annan Foundation.
Some world leaders don’t have much time for the UN.
“All I got from the UN was an escalator that stopped halfway on the way up and a teleprompter that didn’t work,” said US President Donald Trump.
Others think it nee...
Are Democracies Copying Russia's Repressive Playbook?
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On our Inside Geneva podcast this week, we ask: are other countries following Russia’s lead in cracking down on freedom of expression?
“I feel as though I’m monitoring a repression handbook used by the Russian government against its own civil society and, unfortunately, this handbook has been copied by other leaders in some democratic countries,” says Mariana Katzarova, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Russia.
Russian journalists warn us not to take our freedoms for granted.
“It’s been more than a year since I was...
Inside Geneva’s final summer profile: ICRC physiotherapist Rieke Hayes
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This week, in the final episode of our Summer Profiles series on the Inside Geneva podcast, host Imogen Foulkes talks to Irish physiotherapist Rieke Hayes, who now works in Gaza for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“I think I went into physio with the classic idea – I’d have a little clinic, do outpatients, you know, back pain, neck pain. Turns out I really, really didn’t enjoy that setting at all once I was in it,” says Hayes.
Her first posting was unexpected.
“I got this e...
Is the UN still relevant at 80?
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The United Nations General Assembly has officially opened and the organisation marked its 80th anniversary. Inside Geneva asks whether the body remains relevant.
“If you're a refugee in Bangladesh, or seeking protection in South Sudan, the UN may be imperfect but it’s still relevant,” says Richard Gowan from the International Crisis Group.
The UN is bigger than many of us think.
“We do sometimes forget that the UN still has 60,000 peacekeepers deployed around the world and that it continues to run vast humanitarian operations. So the UN isn’t de...
Inside Geneva’s Summer Profiles: Stéphane Jaquemet
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On World Humanitarian Day, Inside Geneva spoke to a man who has dedicated his life to humanitarian work. He grew up in a quiet Swiss village – so what inspired him to take this path?
“When I was young, I quickly realised that many people didn’t have the same opportunities, they didn’t have equal chances. And to me, that felt fundamentally wrong,” says humanitarian worker Stéphane Jaquemet.
His first posting was to Gaza in the 1980s.
“Gaza was already in a bad state at the time. I think...
Inside Geneva’s Summer Profiles: the Red Cross Museum
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Inside Geneva’s fourth summer profile – not a person, but a much-loved museum.
“In this museum, we ask an essential question: what does humanitarian action have to do with me, in my life, here and now?” says Pascal Hufschmid, director of the Red Cross Museum.
This month there’s a special exhibition, “Tuning in” … to the sound of humanity.
“It’s an exhibition conceived as an exploration of sound archives – particularly humanitarian sound archives – preserved here in Geneva at the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) and at the museum,”...
Inside Geneva's Summer Profiles: Rachael Cummings in Gaza
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Rachael Cummings of Save the Children is Inside Geneva’s summer profile this week.
“When I went into nursing, I also wanted to travel, so nursing gave me that opportunity. That was sort of an 18-year-old thinking, ‘Okay, I can use this to travel with’,” says Cummings.
Since taking her nursing skills to humanitarian work, she’s been all over the world.
“I think one of the things I’m most proud of is Save the Children’s role in the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone in 2014 and 2015. We were a...
Inside Geneva's Summer Profiles: A Conversation with international lawyer Dapo Akande
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Inside Geneva brings you our second summer profile, with international lawyer Dapo Akande.
“I’m one of those boring people who actually always wanted to be a lawyer. I’m not sure exactly what the motivation was when I was younger, but I think I was very argumentative as a child. And everyone used to say, ‘You should be a lawyer,’” says Akande.
As a child in Nigeria, he also took a keen interest in world affairs.
“I was brought up in Nigeria and my parents had the BBC World...
Special announcement: Summer Profile 2025 is out now
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Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.chTwitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_enThank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter.
For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/
Host: Imogen Foulkes
Production assitant: Claire-Marie Germain
Distribution: Sara Pasino
Marketing: Xin Zhang
Inside Geneva's Summer Profiles: Tammam Aloudat
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Inside Geneva’s Summer Profiles are back! In this episode we talk to Tammam Aloudat, doctor, aid worker and now journalist.
“I was born in Syria, and I spent most of my life there until my mid-20s. I studied there; I went to medical school there,” says the CEO of The New Humanitarian.
Was being a doctor in Syria his first choice?
“One of the first side effects of autocratic dictatorships is that there isn’t really work outside a few private enterprises, one of which is being an...
War, Peace and Cake: The World in 2025
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2025 has been a year of conflict, upheaval, and huge challenges to the international system.
Gunilla von Hall, Svenskadagbladet: "It all started downhill from 20th of January. Since then, it's just, well, ‘the Ukraine war will be over in 24 hours?’ Nothing happened. It just got worse. Then we had Gaza, then we have Iran, Israel. Then we had the cuts of all the aid. It's very bleak. I think we should just not give up our hope, but it looks really... We have four years."
The humanitarian work Geneva does has b...
Gaza's Aid Crisis: The Failed Militarization of Humanitarian Relief
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Israel blocked aid into Gaza for 10 weeks. Then the US and Israel came up with a new plan – without the United Nations. Established aid agencies had doubts. Inside Geneva finds out why.
Jan Egeland,secretary general, Norwegian Refugee Council: ‘We would welcome anything that would allow us to resume work for a population that is starving and that has been suffocated by a siege over two months. But this seems to be militarized, politicized, manipulated. People have to walk long distances through the rubble to get aid.’
The new Gaza H...
Inside Geneva: pandemics and climate change, can multilateralism still work?
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The world just agreed a pandemic treaty. But without the United States. Is it really a milestone?
‘‘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 pas...
Toxic masculinity and the rollback of gender equality
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It’s been 30 years since the Beijing Declaration on Women, a landmark agreement to empower women and girls.
“The Beijing declaration was such an incredible moment to say that enough is enough. Women are half of humanity and we have to be better,” says Lata Narayanaswamy, associate professor at the School of Politics and International Studies at the University of Leeds.
But now, some governments are rolling back women’s rights. Humanitarian programmes that help women and girls are being cut.
“During his first presidential term, Trump vetoed a n...
