Diplomatic Immunity

Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity is a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. We bring you "frank and candid" conversations on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision makers globally. We talk to current and former diplomatic officials, scholars, and analysts and seek to understand how best to foster international cooperation in an age of global crises. Hosted by Dr. Kelly McFarland Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang Design by Rebecca McFarland and Alistair Somerville Music by Gabe Swarts This podcast is supported by funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Bridging the Gap Initiative.

Chris Tuttle on Ukraine & TikTok; Maldivian Elections, Niger, and Blinken Visits China 05/02/2024

Yuki Tatsumi on the US-Japan Summit; Iran's strike on Israel, Ecuador's Embassy Raid, and Turkish Municipal Elections 04/18/2024

Military Strategy & The War in Ukraine with Lt Gen Ben Hodges 04/11/2024

Dr. Ken Opalo on Sudan's Civil War; Updates on Gaza and Haiti 03/21/2024

The Russo-Chinese Alliance and Great Power Competition with Dr. Tom Lynch 03/07/2024

Jacqueline Charles on the crisis in Haiti; EU's Net-Zero Industry Act, Russia's Space Nukes 03/01/2024

Beverly Ochieng on Senegal's Constitutional Crisis; El Salvador Election, Sweden's NATO accession, World Cup Diplomacy 02/15/2024

Christine Michienzi on The Ukraine War and the Defense-Industrial Base 02/08/2024

Joanna Lewis on COP28, Taiwan Election Fallout, Ukraine-Congress Update, Somaliland Deal 02/01/2024

Holiday Bonus: UN World Basketball Day & Sports Diplomacy with Lindsay Krasnoff 12/21/2023

Holiday Bonus: UN World Basketball Day & Sports Diplomacy with Lindsay Krasnoff Season 6 Bonus Episode. Today, we’ll be talking about basketball and the power of sports diplomacy as we celebrate World Basketball Day – the first sport ever to receive the honor from the United Nations – which now takes place every year on December 21st. Today, Kelly talks with Lindsay Krasnoff about basketball and the history of sports diplomacy. Just in time for World Basketball Day, Lindsay has published a case study with ISD on the fascinating history of basketball diplomacy between France and China during the cold war, which we encourage listeners to check out via our case studies library. Find the store on our website, isd.georgetown.edu. Professors can also access all case studies for free via our faculty lounge. Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff is a historian, writer, and consultant working at the intersection of global sports, communications, and diplomacy. Author of Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA published by Bloomsbury in 2023, her work on French and global sports appears with CNN International, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and more. A veteran of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian, Krasnoff co-directed the Basketball Diplomacy in Africa Oral History Project for the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (SOAS University of London) as a Research Associate, and lectures on sports diplomacy and global sports at the NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sports. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on December 13, 2023. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/29165848

Professor Erica Marat on Russia's Sphere of Influence 12/14/2023

Headlines and History 4: Jeremi Suri on Henry Kissinger's legacy, COP28, Sikh Separatist Assassinations 12/07/2023

Former Ambassadors John Heffern and Alper Coşkun - The Resurgence & Unity of NATO 11/30/2023

Former Ambassadors John Heffern and Alper Coşkun - The Resurgence & Unity of NATO Season 6, Episode 3. For this season’s theme, we’ll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia’s invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We’ll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. For our third episode, Kelly talks with John Heffern and Alper Coşkun, both former ambassadors serving in the U.S. and Turkish governments, respectively. John Heffern is a former State Department official who retired in 2018 after 36 years in the foreign service, including as deputy chief of mission at the United States mission to NATO in Brussels, and as acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs after postings in Japan, Malaysia, China, and the Ivory Coast, and as US ambassador to Armenia. He joined ISD as a senior state department fellow in 2017. Alper Coşkun leads the project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on Turkish foreign policy. He retired from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs after 32 years, culminating in an appointment as director general for international security affairs from 2016-2019 after postings in Athens, Moscow, the United States, as Deputy permanent representative to NATO, and as ambassador to Azerbaijan. We encourage listeners to check out his regular analyses for CEIP's program. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Jarrett Dang. Recorded on November 21, 2023. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/28859013

Headlines and History 3: Rita Konaev on Ukraine's Counteroffensive, Biden-Xi Summit, Liberia, Argentina, and Sudan 11/22/2023

Eurasia Group's Gregory Brew - The War in Ukraine and Global Energy Markets 11/16/2023

Eurasia Group's Gregory Brew - The War in Ukraine and Global Energy Markets Season 6, Episode 2. For this season’s theme, we’ll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia’s invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We’ll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. For our second episode, Kelly talks with oil markets expert . In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion, energy prices skyrocketed worldwide. Reminiscent of previous energy shocks, it caused political consternation around the world and especially in Russian energy-dependent Europe. Greg and Kelly discuss Europe’s effort to wean itself away from Russian gas, and the larger geopolitical consequences of energy shocks. Gregory is an analyst with the Eurasia Group's Energy, Climate & Resources team focusing on the geopolitics of oil and gas, and he serves as Eurasia Group's country analyst for Iran. Greg is a historian of modern Iran, oil, and US foreign policy, and has authored multiple books on the history of modern Iran and the international oil market and has published analysis and commentary in Foreign Affairs, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post. Greg holds both Doctorate and Masters degrees in history from Georgetown University. We encourage listeners to check out his latest book, , published in January 2023. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: November 10, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/28659323

Headlines and History 2: Andrew Imbrie on AI, Subnational Diplomacy, US-China Nuclear Talks, and Pacific Island Diplomacy 11/09/2023

Former Deputy CIA Director Mike Morell - The Role of Intelligence in War and Diplomacy 11/02/2023

Former Deputy CIA Director Mike Morell - The Role of Intelligence in War and Diplomacy Season 6, Episode 1. For this season’s theme, we’ll be covering the litany of unintended consequences and strategic surprises emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. From energy to technology to intelligence to geopolitical alignment, Russia’s invasion marks a sea change in numerous areas of diplomacy and foreign policy. We’ll be getting together with the best professionals in these fields to take stock and analyze where these trends may be headed. In our first episode, we speak to former Deputy and Acting CIA Director Michael Morell on the impact of intelligence as a tool of diplomacy and foreign policy. President Biden and his national security team were warning us about Putin’s intentions all the way up to the day of the invasion of Ukraine, using selective intelligence releases to showcase Putin’s malign intentions and lay bare the falsehoods he used to justify his attack. Host Kelly McFarland discusses this phenomenon and its impact on foreign policy with Morell, who hosts his own podcast, Morell is the chairman of the risk analysis firm Beacon Global Strategies and a professor at George Mason University. He previously served for 33 years in the CIA, including as George W. Bush’s daily intelligence briefer on September 11. He went on to become deputy CIA director in the Obama administration and served twice as acting director in 2011 and from 2012 to 2013. He now also hosts his own podcast – – which we encourage listeners to check out. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Episode recorded: October 24, 2023. Produced by Jarrett Dang and Freddie Mallinson. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/28491566

Headlines and History 1: Liberia, Poland, Russia, and Dan Byman on Hamas 10/26/2023

Season 5 Wrap-Up with Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis and Tressa Finerty 06/21/2023

Season 5 Wrap-Up with Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis and Tressa Finerty Season 5, Episode 8: Our tour through the many fora of multilateral diplomacy is coming to an end. To help us wrap up season five, ISD's own Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis and Tressa Finerty join Dr. Kelly McFarland to explore key themes, re-examine the tough questions, and look forward to the future of consensus-driven multilateral diplomacy. Ambassador (ret.) Jeffrey DeLaurentis is currently Acting Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations. During his 28-year career in the Foreign Service, he worked almost exclusively on Western Hemisphere issues and served as a multilateral diplomat at the United Nations. He served as the first Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana following the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. Prior to taking up his Cuba post in August 2014, he was Ambassador/Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Previously, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs and Security Council Coordinator at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and Columbia University Graduate School of International and Public Affairs. Tressa Rae Finerty is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with more than twenty years of experience at the Department of State, most recently serving as Deputy Executive Secretary. A specialist in multilateral diplomatic engagement and negotiation, Tressa led teams at U.S. Missions to the United Nations in New York and Geneva. An expert in humanitarian and refugee policy, she taught courses on international refugee practices at NYU, led emergency humanitarian operations to welcome freed politician prisoners from Nicaragua in 2023, and created the Dulles Afghan Refugee Transit Center, which rapidly brought nearly fifty thousand Afghans to safety in 2021. She built the first-ever in-country refugee processing center, for Iraqis fleeing the war there (2008-9). Tressa has also served at U.S. embassies in Malaysia, Iraq, Armenia, and Thailand, in Washington in the office for North Korea Policy, and as a board member of Executive Women @ State, supporting women for senior leadership positions. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Tressa was a business strategy and change management consultant. She holds a BA and MBA from The George Washington University and is a member of the Board of Directors of Up With People, an international youth leadership organization. As a disclaimer that our listeners know well - The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of Jeff and Tressa and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Government. Episode recorded: May 2, 2023 Produced by Daniel Henderson Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/27215202

Food Security and the FAO with Beth Bechdol 05/31/2023

Food Security and the FAO with Beth Bechdol Season 5, episode 7. The United Nations Security Council tends to capture the headlines, but throughout the United Nations system are dozens of organizations and agencies that make a substantial difference in our everyday lives. From standardizing rules around flight to providing data that shape global policy, these institutions are often the unsung heroes of the UN. Given ISD's on food security, we wanted to highlight the work of one such organization - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). So, for this episode, we chatted with Deputy Director General of the FAO Beth Bechdol. Beth talked about the role the FAO plays in collecting crucial data and providing programmatic expertise, how innovation and partnerships enhance their work, and how Russia's invasion of Ukraine affects their efforts to end hunger. Beth is responsible for FAO’s partnership and outreach work, including UN collaboration, resource mobilization, private sector engagement, and South-South and triangular cooperation. She oversees plant production and protection programs, FAO’s technical advisory committee on agriculture and the International Plant Protection Convention Secretariat. Before joining FAO, Beth was President and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. Prior to this, she served as a Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and as an Economist on the Senate Agriculture Committee. For more on global food security and policy recommendations to enhance it, check out ISD's working group and related publications and research on the topic . ( Episode recorded: May 17, 2023 Produced by Daniel Henderson Episode Image: A view of the FAO office taken from the Circus Maximus. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/26993226

The Surprising Power of Peacekeeping with Dr. Lise Howard 04/19/2023

The Surprising Power of Peacekeeping with Dr. Lise Howard Season 5, episode 6: Blue helmets have become one of the most visible signs of the UN in the world. These peacekeepers are sent where often nobody else wants to go and asked to accomplish what nobody else often will. After 70 years of service, UN peacekeeping has seen its successes and its well-publicized failures. So in this episode, we took a more thematic approach to multilateralism to look at the role that peacekeeping plays. When did it begin and why? How has it evolved over the years and how effective has it been? How might it change still to meet today's challenges? We discussed these questions and more with peacekeeping expert and Georgetown colleague, Dr. Lise Howard. Lise Morjé Howard is Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University and President of the Academic Council on the United Nations System. Her research and teaching interests span the fields of international relations, comparative politics, and conflict resolution. She has published articles and book chapters about civil wars, peacekeeping, and American foreign policy in many leading journals such as International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, International Peacekeeping, Global Governance, Foreign Affairs, and Oxford University Press. Her book (Cambridge University Press 2008), about organizational learning, won the 2010 book award from the Academic Council on the UN System. Her recent book, (Cambridge University Press 2019) is based on field research in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, and Namibia. It won the 2021 book award from the International Security Studies Section of the International Studies Association. Dr. Howard earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from UC, Berkeley, and her A.B. in Soviet Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University. She has held yearlong fellowships at Stanford University, Harvard University, and the U.S. Institute of Peace. Dr. Howard is fluent in French and Russian, and speaks some Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Spanish, and German. Prior to her career in academia, she served as Acting Director of UN Affairs for the New York City Commission for the United Nations. More of Dr. Howard's recent Work: (Cambridge University Press 2019) "," Cambridge University Press, November 2020 "," Foreign Affairs, November 2021. "," Foreign Affairs, March 2023 Episode recorded: December 12, 2022 Produced by Daniel Henderson Episode Image: Simulation exercise of a team of Egyptian blue helmets entirely composed of women in Douentza, in the Mopti region. Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/26582364

BONUS: The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI 03/29/2023

BONUS: The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI Bonus: What, exactly, is AI? What are its applications? Why does it matter for national security and geopolitics? Will machines rise up and destroy us all?! Fellow Hoya Andrew Imbrie discussed these questions and more in a fascinating conversation on his new book, co-authored with Ben Buchannon, titled . Come for the Terminator and Matthew Broderick references, but stay for the essential information Imbrie provides on the future of AI and national security! Andrew Imbrie is an Associate Professor of the Practice and the Gracias Chair in Security and Emerging Technology at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is also an Affiliate at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to his current role, he served as a senior advisor on cyber and emerging technology policy at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. He worked previously as a Senior Fellow at CSET, where he focused on issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence and international security and served as an advisor to the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. From 2013 to 2017, he served as a member of the policy planning staff and speechwriter to Secretary John Kerry at the U.S. Department of State. He has also worked as a professional staff member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He received his B.A. in the humanities from Connecticut College and his M.A. from the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations from Georgetown University. His writings have appeared in such outlets as Foreign Affairs, War on the Rocks, Lawfare, Survival, Defense One, and On Being. His first book is Power on the Precipice: The Six Choices America Faces in a Turbulent World (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020). Andrew grew up as the son of a U.S. Foreign Service officer and now resides in Maryland with his wife Teresa Eder, a foreign policy analyst, journalist, and producer. Buy The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI . () Episode recorded: December 2, 2022 Produced by Daniel Henderson Episode Image: The New Fire: War, Peace, and Democracy in the Age of AI cover [] Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/26371017

Cooperating on European Security with Allison Hart 03/15/2023

Cooperating on European Security with Allison Hart Season 5, episode 5. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has posed an existential crisis for numerous multilateral institutions, worsening several ongoing global issues such as food insecurity while also upending the architecture of European Security. Few organizations understand that or deal with that more than the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. For this week's episode, we chatted with Allison Hart, Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid. She shared how the organization operates, the unique challenge of having one of its member states upend the issue they are most focused on, how they worked to ease tensions between Russia and Ukraine before the invasion, and how they can be part of the solution to the current crisis. Allison Hart is the Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid. She took up this role in Vienna in February 2022. Prior to joining the OSCE, Allison served in a number of roles at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, including as Special Advisor to the Deputy Secretary General, Executive Officer of NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division, and most recently as Head of the Human Security Unit. Allison began her career as an entrepreneur in Chicago where she launched and managed two successful businesses before pursuing international relations. In Washington, she coordinated a foreign policy team for a major political campaign and spent several years at The Brookings Institution on projects related to national security and transatlantic relations. Allison holds a Bachelor of Arts in Middle East Language & Civilization from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in European Studies & International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. NOTE: Any views expressed are strictly her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the OSCE or any member state. And as a special treat for this episode, the interview was conducted by ISD Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow Nathanial Haft. Nate Haft is a career Foreign Service Officer. He most recently served as a senior policy advisor on the U.S. delegation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. Nate's prior overseas assignments include covering rule of law and counternarcotics issues in Pakistan, human rights in Albania, and consular affairs in Taiwan. In Washington, he served as a multilateral affairs officer in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs. Nate is a recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship in Foreign Affairs. Prior to joining the State Department, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru as well as a research assistant at the Brookings Institution. Mr. Haft graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and earned an MPP from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. NOTE: While Nate is a career U.S. diplomat, his views are also his own and do not reflect the view of the U.S. State Department or the U.S. government. Episode recorded: March 3, 2023 Produced by Daniel Henderson Episode Image: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits among his counterparts on December 8, 2016, as he attends a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/26231763

Telling the Story of the UN with Stéphane Dujarric 02/15/2023

Telling the Story of the UN with Stéphane Dujarric Season 5, Episode 4: How does one tell the story of multilateralism in times rife with conflict, misinformation, and mistrust? How does one communicate with a world as vast and diverse as our own? What's it like to advocate for the United Nations on the global stage? We here at Diplomatic Immunity don't have the answers to those important questions, so for this episode, we sat down with the man who does. The chief spokesperson for the Secretary General of the United Nations Stéphane Dujarric joined Dr. Kelly McFarland to discuss these questions as well as the secretary-general's priorities for 2023 and his personal outlook for multilateralism in a world defined by great power rivalry. Mr. Dujarric became Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on March 10, 2014. Prior to his appointment, he served as Spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan from 2005 to 2006 and then as Deputy Communications Director for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon from 2006 to 2007. Immediately prior to his current appointment, Mr. Dujarric was the Director of News and Media for the United Nations Department of Public Information and he also served as Director of Communications for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Episode recorded: February 8, 2023 Produced by Daniel Henderson Episode Image: Stéphane Dujarric (left), Spokesperson of the Secretary-General, opens the floor to questions from journalists during a press conference by Secretary-General António Guterres on the occasion of World Refugee Day. Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/25929702

Observing Democracy at the Organization of America States with Gerardo de Icaza 01/25/2023

Observing Democracy at the Organization of America States with Gerardo de Icaza Season 5, Episode 3: Multilateralism is so often thought of as a means and method for groups of states to tackle common issues or resolve disputes. But what happens when a multilateral institution is called on to help support sub-national issues within states? That's precisely what we wanted to know when we chatted with Gerardo de Icaza, the director of of the Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation at the OAS. Gerardo chats with Dr. Kelly McFarland about the issues that the OAS and his department handle, the challenges and opportunities of election support from a multilateral institution, partnerships with other organizations and civil society, and the future of multilateralism in the Americas. Gerardo has been the director of the Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation since March 1, 2014. In his years as director, he has led more than 80 electoral observation missions in more than 27 countries. In 2018, he served as acting secretary for strengthening democracy from February to July. Previously, at the National Electoral Institute of Mexico (INE) he served as deputy legal director for overseas voting and as coordinator of the technical committee of specialists on overseas voting. He was a law clerk, and then head of the International Affairs Unit in the Electoral Tribunal of Mexico. His most recent publication "International Law of Democracy" coordinated with Luis Almagro, is one of his numerous publications on democracy and electoral systems. If you enjoy this podcast, Working group members analyzed the threat corruption and kleptocracy pose to democracy around the world and provide recommendations for the United States to begin cleansing this dark and festering underbelly of global politics. Read the report . Episode recorded: December 19, 2022 Produced by Daniel Henderson Episode Image: The front facade of the Organization of American States in Washington, DC. Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/25715883

Understanding the African Union with Ambassador Jessica Lapenn 01/04/2023

Understanding the African Union with Ambassador Jessica Lapenn Season 5, Episode 2: This season we are talking about multilateralism. What it is, what it's good for, and also what it's not. After looking at the big picture through the lens of the United Nations in episode one, this episode takes us to the regional level. U.S. Ambassador to the African Union Jessica Lapenn joined Dr. Kelly McFarland to explain how the African Union (AU) functions, why the U.S. was the first non-African nation to establish a permanent mission to the AU, how the AU tackles issues of peace and security differently than the UN, and where regional institutions and the United Nations can best work together. Ambassador Lapenn was sworn-in as the U.S. Ambassador to the African Union and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa on August 27, 2019. She most recently served as the Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Mission in South Africa. Prior to this, she served as the Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. She was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali from 2012-2014. Ambassador Lapenn entered the U.S. Foreign Service in October 1994. Her overseas tours have included Jeddah, Riyadh, Paris, Tbilisi, Baghdad, and Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, she was the Chief of the Political Section at the U.S. Consulate General, and at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, she was responsible for regional refugee assistance and policy in the South Caucuses and Central Asia. Episode recorded: November 16, 2022 Produced by Daniel Henderson and Kelly McFarland. Episode Image: African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/25497183

Bonus: A Year in Review with Amy Mackinnon 12/21/2022

Unpacking the United Nations with Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman and Alistair Somerville 12/07/2022

Unpacking the United Nations with Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman and Alistair Somerville Season 5, Episode 1: This season, Diplomatic Immunity is exploring the depths of multilateralism to learn how consensus-driven diplomacy survives in an era of renewed great power competition. For the first episode, ISD Director of Research and Programs Kelly McFarland talked to two experts with experience at the United Nations. First, Kelly chatted with ISD alumni Alistair Somerville to walk through the history of the 77-year-old institution. Alistair Somerville is a staff assistant at the UN Secretariat's office in Washington, the , where he coordinates the Secretariat's work with academic institutions, think tanks, and the media in Washington and around the United States. To dig deeper into the issues affecting the United Nations today, Kelly talked to Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman who has served as a high-ranking diplomat with both the United States and the United Nations. Ambassador Feltman explains why he has been pleasantly surprised by the UN's efforts in light of the war in Ukraine and is cautiously optimistic about the future of the institution. Jeffrey Feltman is the John C. Whitehead Visiting Fellow in International Diplomacy in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings and a Senior Fellow at the UN Foundation, both based in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Feltman was appointed as the first U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, a position he held from April 2021 until January 2022. From July 2012 until his April 2018 retirement, he served as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs. From 2009 until 2012, Ambassador Feltman was the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Prior to his 2004-2008 tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, he served as a U.S. diplomat in Erbil, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tunis, Amman, Budapest, and Port-au-Prince. Episode recorded: October 10, 2022 (interview with Alistair Somerville) and November 30, 2022 (Interview with Ambassador Feltman) Produced by Daniel Henderson and Kelly McFarland. Episode Image: Flags at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/25243386

Bonus: Iran Protests with Kelly Shannon 11/02/2022

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Lessons from the Edge with Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch 05/04/2022

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Lessons from the Edge with Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch Season 4, Episode 8: In the current series of Diplomatic Immunity, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next. In the final episode of the season, Kelly is joined by Ambassador Maria L. Yovanovitch, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2016-2019), to discuss her recent book Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir as well as the threat corruption poses to national security and the importance of history. Additionally, Ambassador Yovanovitch explains her motivation to describe and extol the work of foreign and civil service officers when she testified during President Trump's first impeachment trial, and shares her insights into the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine. Ambassador (ret.) Marie L. Yovanovitch is a Senior Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She first joined ISD as a Senior State Department Fellow in the spring of 2019 after three years as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2016-2019). She previously served as Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia (2008-2011) and the Kyrgyz Republic (2005-2008). From 2012-2013, Ambassador Yovanovitch was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, where she was responsible for policy on European and global security issues. She also served as the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2004-2005. She retired from the Department of State as a Career Minister in January 2020. Ambassador Yovanovitch served as the Dean of the Language School at the Foreign Service Institute, as well as International Advisor and Deputy Commandant at the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University, where she also taught national security strategy. She began her career in Ottawa, followed by overseas assignments in Moscow, London and Mogadishu, and at the Department of State as Deputy Director of the Russian Desk. A graduate of Princeton University with a master’s degree from the National Defense University, Ambassador Yovanovitch received numerous Presidential and State Department awards, including the Secretary’s Diplomacy in Human Rights Award. Episode recorded: April 19, 2022 Image: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visit Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 24, 2022. [] Hosted and produced by Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans. Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit and follow us on Twitter . Send any feedback to . /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/22996883

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