Polylateralism and Preparing for the Future, with Dr. Randolph Kent

The Next Page

The global challenges we face today are often complex, inter-connected and inter-related. How, as a global community, can we prepare for the global threats of the future? In this episode of the #NextPagePod, we speak with Dr. Randolph Kent about his research on future global crises, and why he thinks polylateralism is needed to face them collectively.

D. Kent is the Director of the Humanitarian Futures Initiative, Visiting Professor at the African Leadership Centre at King’s College London, and Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, where he works on an initiative called the Futures Project. His past roles include several in the humanitarian sector of the UN system, including as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia (2002), UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Kosovo (1999), UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Rwanda (1994-1995), and emergency and preparedness roles in Sudan and Ethiopia.

Dr. Kent speaks with us about his experiences in the UN, and how they've shaped his work today in futures thinking and polylateralism. What is futures methodology and should it matter for the UN and multilateralism? What exactly is polylateralism, and why does he think it's necessary to better meet global crises as an international community? Let's find out.

Resources

• Read Dr. Kent's report "Building an International Architecture for Managing Global Threats": https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/emerging-insights/building-international-architecture-managing-global-threats
• Learn more about Humanitarian Futures: https://www.humanitarianfutures.org/
• Listen to the #NextPagePod episode with historian Margaret MacMillan as she speaks about the shaping of modern multilateralism: https://unitednationslibrarygeneva.podbean.com/e/episode-32-margaret-macmillan/

Where to listen to this episode

• Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udgjtu1vB7U

Content 

Speakers: Dr. Randolph Kent

Host: Natalie Alexander

Editor & Producer: Natalie Alexander

Social media designs: Natalie Alexander & Alma Selvaggia Rinaldi

Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva