On The Record

On COP30 and the Future of Climate Negotiations

As leaders gather in Brazil to discuss international climate policy at this year’s COP30 summit, major questions remain regarding a warming climate and investments in renewable energy. In this conversation, experts discuss the future of global climate negotiations and reflect on lessons learned from past climate diplomacy, including the legacy of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol adopted at COP3.
 
Background Reading:
This article unpacks the lack of cooperation among COP30 members to strengthen climate initiatives and the recent withdrawal of the United States from global climate commitments.
 
Host: Alice C. Hill, David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment, Council on Foreign Relations
 
Guests: David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University; Former Senior Director, National Security Council (1997–1999)
 
David G. Victor, Distinguished Professor of Innovation and Public Policy and Director of the Deep Decarbonization Initiative, University of California, San Diego
 
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On the Rise of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Measles, whooping cough, and other vaccine-preventable diseases are on the rise around the world. Cuts to foreign aid, coupled with growing vaccine hesitancy, and persistent gaps in vaccine access are fueling outbreaks in poor and wealthy nations alike. In this conversation, global health experts discuss the drivers of these outbreaks and the solutions that can advance vaccine equity and better public health worldwide.
 
Background Reading:
This tracker from CFR’s Think Global Health initiative maps weekly updates of disease outbreaks around the globe.
This article unpacks the global decline in immunization coverage.
This backgrounder unpacks the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing disease, and the global rise in vaccine hesitancy.
 
Host: Thomas J. Bollyky, Bloomberg Chair in Global Health and Director of the Global Health Program, Council on Foreign Relations
 
Guests: Heidi Larson, Founder and Director, The Vaccine Confidence Project
 
Seth Berkley, Senior Advisor, Pandemic Center; Adjunct Professor of the Practice in the Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health
 
William John Moss, Executive Director, International Vaccine Access Center; Professor of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
 
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On Qatar's Future

Qatar is home to the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East and maintains deep economic ties with Washington, cementing its status as a critical on-NATO ally. But this September, that partnership was put to the test when Israel, largely funded and supported by the United States, launched an attack on Qatar’s capital, Doha. In this conversation, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discusses Qatar’s regional role, including its mediation efforts in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and its response following the Israeli attack in Doha.
 
Background Reading:
This article discusses how the strikes on Doha could jeopardize future ceasefires in Gaza.
 
Host: Ayman Mohyeldin, Co-Host, The Weekend: Primetime, MSNBC
 
Guests: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qatar
 
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On U.S. Military Leadership in a New Era of Defense

As great-power competition intensifies and the prospect of conflict with China looms, military strength, technological innovation, and cooperation with allies are essential to ensuring U.S. national security. General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discusses the most pressing geopolitical challenges facing the United States and the world today.
 
Background Reading:
This article outlines the risks of the United States’ dependence on China for critical minerals, and makes suggestions for how the United States can begin to compete in the space.
 
Host: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations
 
Guests: Charles Q. Brown, Jr., 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General, U.S. Air Force (Retired)
 
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On Ukraine’s Reconstruction

As the war in Ukraine nears its fourth year, uncertainty is growing over the future of international support. Meanwhile, mounting pressure on Russia’s economy and an increase in high-tech, drone-centric warfare continue to bolster Ukraine’s defense. Experts from Ukraine and Europe discuss international financial initiatives to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and revitalize its infrastructure and economy in the aftermath of Russia’s military aggression.
 
Background Reading: 
This report lays out strategies for rebuilding Ukraine, reintegrating workers, and growing the country’s economy post-war.
 
Host: Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Senior Fellow, Center for Geoeconomic Studies at CFR
 
Guests: Nadia Calviño, President, European Investment Bank
Sergii Marchenko, Minister of Finance, Ukraine
Odile Renaud-Basso, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
 
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On Navigating Crises Inside the Situation Room

U.S. Department of State officials are the foremost representatives of U.S. interests around the world, helping to manage relationships with foreign governments, international organizations, and the people of other countries. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs Keren Yarhi-Milo discuss their new book, Inside the Situation Room, and lessons for future leaders navigating national security crises.
 
Background Reading: 
This post unpacks leaked reform plans that the Donald Trump administration seeks to make to the State Department.
 
Host: David Westin, Anchor, Bloomberg
 
Guests: Hillary Rodham Clinton, 67th U.S. Secretary of State
Keren Yarhi-Milo, Dean and Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Relations, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
John J. Sullivan, Partner, Mayer Brown; Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
 
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On the Future of the U.S. Economy

In September 2025, the U.S. Federal Reserve approved a quarter-point interest rate cut. The move came amid a softening labor market, above-target inflation, heightened uncertainty about Trump’s trade and tariff policy, and other conditions that present significant challenges to monetary policymakers. Against this backdrop, Susan M. Collins, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, discusses the United States’ current economic outlook. 
 
Background Reading: 
This backgrounder unpacks the role of the U.S. Federal Reserve, and its ongoing struggles with inflation and political scrutiny.
 
Host: Seema Mody, Technology and Global Markets Correspondent, CNBC
 
Guest: Susan M. Collins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
 
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UN High Commissioner Volker Türk On Human Rights

From Sudan to the war in Gaza, 2025 has seen the continuation of major humanitarian crises across the globe. Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, examines a range of these crises, while also exploring issues such as financing, reform, and declining multilateral consensus. 
 
This conversation was hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. 
 
Background Reading: 
This expert brief outlines the Trump administration's move away from UN human rights standards. 
This post discusses the most recent U.S. report on Human Rights Practices. 
 
Host: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
 
Guest: Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
 
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa On Trade, Reform, and the BRICS Alliance

Long before Trump retook the Oval Office, policymakers were concerned that South Africa's growing ties with Russia and China could undermine Washington’s strategic interests in the region. Against the backdrop of these concerns, President Cyril Ramaphosa examines South Africa’s domestic priorities, its bilateral trade relations with the United States, the future of BRICS, and the country’s role in Southern Africa.
 
This conversation was hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. 
 
Background Reading: 
This post unpacks the confrontational meeting between South African President Ramaphosa and U.S. President Trump in May 2025.
 
Host: Richard Stengel, Political Analyst at MSNBC; Former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State
 
Guest: Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa
 
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Canadian PM Mark Carney On NATO, Trade, and the Middle East

The U.S.-Canadian relationship boasts a history of cooperation, peaceful borders, and strong trade ties. However, the partnership has come under strain during the second Trump administration, in part due to sweeping tariffs that have called into question Canada’s economic ties to Washington. Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Mark Carney discusses Canada’s role in NATO, the ongoing war in Gaza, Canada’s foreign policy priorities, and the new global economy. 
 
This conversation was hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. 
 
Background Reading: 
This backgrounder unpacks Canada’s fraught trade relationship with the United States.
This timeline highlights the U.S.-Canada partnership over the last century, and how trade tensions and territorial disputes have strained relations in recent years.
 
Host: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations
 
Guest: Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
 
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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYYjz2hABZk