Who Rules the World

Some people fight for human rights in the streets. Others do it in the negotiating room. This week, we meet one of the latter. Join Veronika and Lars for a fascinating conversation with Kajsa Ollongren, the EU's Special Representative for Human Rights. From the death penalty to climate justice, gender equality to migration — her mandate touches the defining challenges of our era, and she's working every day to move the needle on all of them. In this episode, they dig into what it really means to champion human rights on the world stage, the surprising power of dialogue, and why young people are more central to this work than they might think.

Today's guest is someone whose life story is a testament to resilience, courage, and an unwavering belief in the power of policy to change lives. Ramika Khabiri grew up in Kabul amid decades of conflict, and from an early age she found her voice through art and music — using both as tools to speak out against violence toward women. That instinct to advocate would go on to define her entire career. To hear more about Ramika's journey and what Afghanistan women and girls are going through in 21st century listen to the full episode.

In this episode, Lars spoke with the Ukrainian Youth Delegates, Vitalina Shevchenko and Yan Erl Ruzhytskyi, about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its profound impact on young people. In this conversation, they share their perspectives on how the war has affected youth across the country, and how young Ukrainians are showing resilience and leadership even in times of conflict. Vitalina discusses the outcomes of her regional consultations with youth before coming to New York, while Yan reflects on the importance of intergenerational dialogue in rebuilding trust and fostering lasting peace. Together, they also introduce the Youth Manifesto for Peace, launched during UNGA80 with the call for greater youth participation in peace negotiations. The episode explores why including youth voices at the negotiation table is essential for achieving durable peace, and what priorities young Ukrainians would bring if given that opportunity. Tune in to hear how Vitalina and Yan represent the strength and hope of their generation in the face of war, and how they envision youth shaping the future of peace in Ukraine.

This is a very special episode, as it marks Giulia's last conversation on this platform as the EU Youth Delegate to the UN (2023-2025). Welcoming her successors, Veronika Novotna and Lars Westra (2025-2026), they delve into a deep conversation about what it means to be an EU Youth Delegate to the UN, the ups and downs of the mandate, sharing insightful recommendations. Veronika and Lars will take the lead on this amazing journey at the United Nations and will bring you into the insightful conversations of the Who Rules the World Podcast.

In a special co-production with the Who Rules the World? Podcast, created and produced by EU Delegation in New York, Lars Westra, EU Youth Delegate to the UN, presents this month’s episode of London Calling EU. Lars attended the EU Delegation to the UK’s Annual Youth Dialogue event held this year in Newcastle University, where he caught up with the EU Ambassador to the UK Pedro Serrano. Ambassador Serrano, who was in fact the first EU Ambassador to the UN, spoke to Lars about the importance of youth voices in multilateralism and why youth should get in contact with different cultures/environments. At an important juncture in EU-UK Youth relations, the importance of keeping channels open with the youth is more important than ever.

In this episode we re-visit to the Opening or High-Level Week of the United Nations General Assembly 80th Session in New York. EU Youth Delegate Veronika Novotna had a conversation with Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport. EU Commissioner Micallef’s mission is to work on creating more space in the society for young people to be influential, and with more responsibility in the European societies. The main question is how can this be achieved when international institutions still struggle to take youth voices seriously? Another important question is why arn’t youth representatives consitlted and invloved in policy decision making processes? Veronika also asked EU Commissioner Micallef how can politicians and youth work together to achieve meaningful youth participation in global and local level. Children’s rights are also part of the converstation. Th hear what other issues Veronika riased with Commissioner Micallef listen to the full episode!

We devote this episode to the mark celebratory UN@80 - UN Day - 24 October. During the High-Level Week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, we had a talk with the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, who devoted some time to youth in his busy schedule. In his role, Commissioner Síkela is responsible for ensuring that the EU builds long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that strengthen prosperity, resilience, and security. In this conversation, he reflects on his recent travels, shares insights into the Global Gateway initiative, building on the Team Europe approach and explains how Europe is working to deliver concrete projects that make a difference on the ground. Among all the important issues, Commissioner Sikela also ensures the EU support and promotion of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. EU Youth Delegate Veronika Novotna, discusses all this and also the resilience of the international system in uncertain times, the role of young people in global cooperation, and how the EU is addressing backsliding on human rights, gender equality, and the need for more inclusive partnerships with civil society, academia, and the private sector. Commissioner Síkela offered a personal message to the young people attending UNGA80 — and to youth everywhere – listen to the episode to hear his message!

We devote the special Europe Day episode to the 80th Anniversary of the United Nation. This year we also celebrate 75th years of Schuman Declaration the foundation of the European Union. It is a great moment to reflect on what multilateralism truly means today and how we can reconnect people, especially youth, with the institutions that are meant to serve them. We are honoured to have UN’s own, USG for Global Communications Melissa Fleming. USG Fleming has been a passionate advocate for the power of truth, information integrity, storytelling, and of course, international cooperation. She has been the heart of how the UN communicates to the world. USG Fleming together with EU YD Giulia explores the evolving role of the UN, cooperation with the EU, and the importance of multilateralism; what it means to communicate hope and action in the age of disinformation, and how we can build trust in institutions that often feel far away but impact our lives every day.

This episode highlights the experience and perspective of LGBTQI+ human rights defenders, with a focus on the intersections of activism, mental health, and the power of the performative arts in raising awareness about the LGBTQI+ Community. Erik’s work as a psychologist and cultural facilitator offers a unique lens into how artistic expression can become a tool for resilience, resistance, and community healing. His voice represents a generation of young changemakers advocating for dignity and safety in an increasingly polarized world. In this episode, we’ll also discuss the role of international institutions, particularly the EU, in amplifying and protecting LGBTQI+ rights.

In this episode of Who Rules the World?, hosted by the EU Delegation to the United Nations, we're diving into one of the most important events for gender equality this year: the 69th Commission on the Status of Women, or CSW69, and the 30-year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Three decades after world leaders gathered in Beijing to set an ambitious agenda for women's rights, where do we stand today? Have we truly made progress, or are we still facing the same systemic barriers? And how can young people play a bigger role in shaping gender equality policies? To help us answer these questions, Giulia is in coversation with an incredible guest: Ishaan Shah. Ishaan is a young leader deeply engaged in intergovernmental processes and a strong advocate for gender equality, human rights, and multilateralism. He advises UN Women, the UN Youth Office, UNODC, UN Foundation, and the Global Commission on Modern Slavery. His work focuses on building trust in global institutions and ensuring that youth voices are not just included, but meaningfully centred.