Recent Developments and Challenges Facing the UN System: A Talk with Tshilidzi Marwala
By Anna O’Sullivan (SFS ’28) —
On Thursday, January 15th, the Mortara Center for International Studies had the honor and privilege of welcoming Dr. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. Co-hosted by Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the Academic Council for the United Nations System (ACUNS), the conversation addressed challenges to the UN system, global healthcare, AI, and other emerging technologies.
In his presentation, Rector Marwala focused on the climate crisis, AI ethics, and a lack of attention towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Pointing to various inefficiencies within the organization, he expressed hardships with the P5’s veto power, economic stagnation, and difficulties aligning action in absolute harmony with the UN charter. Furthermore, Dr. Marwala placed emphasis on how selective disengagement by nations creates a paradoxical free rider scenario, in which inefficiency runs rampant as no nation is willing to step up. Possible solutions included increased education and collective diplomacy within the UN system. Nearing the end, Dr. Marwala–an engineer by training–diverged into an illuminating discussion on how AI can be used as both a tool to eliminate inefficiencies and a possible area of conflict. As a computer scientist named the “2021 IT Personality of the Year” by the Institute of IT Professionals South Africa, Dr. Marwala was able to share key insights on the ethics behind these emerging technologies.
Dr. Marwala, originally from South Africa, lives on the Tokyo campus of the United Nations University, where he took on the role of rector in 2023. He had previously served as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, and the Executive Assistant to the Technical Director at South African Breweries, among other roles. Dr. Marwala holds a PhD from Cambridge University, a Master’s of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Pretoria, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Case Western Reserve University. His specialties include AI governance, scientific diplomacy, and economics. Dr. Marwala holds a number of prestigious awards, such as being named one of the “100 Most Influential Africans of 2024″ by New African Magazine.
Following Dr. Marwala’s remarks, Professor Lise Howard, former president of ACUNS and head of the School of Foreign Service faculty, moderated a 30-minute Q&A session with him. Dr. Marwala spoke about the intersection of climate change and AI usage, emphasizing that while AI is an important emerging technology, it must be understood and utilized in a sustainable framework. Dr. Marwala’s presentation and discussion were greatly informative and inspiring, illuminating the challenges faced by the United Nations while simultaneously proposing a groundwork for progress; in changing what we as individuals prioritize in our fight towards sustainable development, we lay a foundation for our governments and multilateral institutions to follow.