Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention is a podcast by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. The podcast, hosted by Global Centre Deputy Executive Director Jaclyn Streitfeld-Hall, features one-on-one conversations with practitioners from the field of human rights, conflict prevention, atrocity prevention and other related agendas. These conversations aim to provide a glimpse of the personal and professional side of how practitioners approach human rights protection and atrocity prevention. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and YouTube. Please subscribe for new episodes.

In this episode we sat down with Natalie Samarasinghe, Executive Director of the Public Engagement Platform for Climate Action and co-founder of the 1 for 8 Billion campaign. During the episode, Natalie discusses her career in human rights and the UN system, and how those experiences shaped her advocacy for greater transparency and public engagement in the UN Secretary-General selection process. She discusses the qualities needed in a Secretary-General who can navigate geopolitical constraints, address systemic issues and effectively leverage the UN’s role. Natalie also explores the importance of visionary leadership that can balance peace and security with development and humanitarian efforts, while proposing reforms to strengthen the UN’s efficiency and legitimacy.