Francesco Pisano on Knowledge to Lead

Francesco Pisano, Director of the UN Library & Archives Geneva, reflects on the transformative power of knowledge, and the role of the Library & Archives in democratizing access to knowledge. He discusses projects like the Total Digital Access to the League of Nations, the balance between humans and machines, and how knowledge-led leadership can strengthen multilateral cooperation.

As he prepares to step down from his 32-year UN career, Francesco Pisano emphasizes optimism, hope, and the responsibility of international civil servants to persist in doing the hard work of building wiser decisions for the future.

Francesco says, "There is work to do. The system needs to get down to work, hard work."

Resources: Ask a Librarian!

Archives platform: https://archives.ungeneva.org/lontad

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://youtu.be/

Content

Guest: Francesco Pisano https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/discover-institute/francesco-pisano

Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva

Recorded and produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva