When Peace Seemed Possible

Thant Myint-U on the United Nations at 80, and the Future of Global Diplomacy.

As the United Nations marked its 80th anniversary, Thant Myint-U joins us for a conversation looking back to the 1960s, a period when international cooperation and peace appeared genuinely possible, and considering what that moment reveals about the state of diplomacy today.

Drawing on the story of U Thant, the Burmese diplomat and UN Secretary-General who played a central yet often overlooked role in crises including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Congo, Vietnam, and the Middle East, the discussion examines a formative era in global governance. It explores what has been lost since that high point of multilateral diplomacy, the challenges now facing the UN, and what role the institution can realistically play in a more fragmented and volatile world.

Thant Myint-U is a historian, author, and former UN official, specialising in Myanmar, Southeast Asia, and international affairs. He has served in senior advisory roles at the United Nations and has written widely on geopolitics, diplomacy, and global order. His previous books include The River of Lost Footsteps and The Hidden History of Burma.