Streets around the UN headquarters have been sealed off with access restricted to pass holders, as police sirens and motorcades take over New York City and the UN General Assembly high-level debate gets into full swing.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is due to open the debate on Tuesday, followed by an address by US President Donald Trump.
More than 1,000 bilateral meetings between member states are taking place this week, as behind-the-scenes diplomacy focuses on forging new partnerships and finding solutions to conflicts around the world, particularly in the Middle East.
"It's like you're surfing on a giant wave, and all you're trying to do is survive 'til the end of the week," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, told The National.
"You run on adrenaline."
Delegates, officials, ministers and world leaders can be seen walking the streets around UN headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, occasionally stopping to greet an acquaintance or speak to a journalist.
With badges around their necks and dressed in formal attire, UN General Assembly delegates have taken over the streets, coming from around the world and almost everyone carrying a coffee cup.
“Sleepless nights start now,” complained a journalist working for a news wire, before adding: "But it’s exciting and exhilarating."
For Middle Eastern countries in particular, the week will be an opportunity to engage in intensive diplomatic talks aimed at finding solutions to conflicts across the region, particularly the Iran war, which has had a significant impact on the global economy.
For Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the focus would be on recommitting to the ideals of the UN and trying to get member states to deal with "runaway risks", whether it's artificial intelligence, climate change or inequality, Mr Dujarric said.
"We have requests for already about 1,000 bilateral meetings between member states," he said. He said it is an "opportunity for heads of state and governments to meet each other in very discreet ways".
Rare breaks
The UN provides booths that can usually be booked in half-hour slots for meetings between delegations. “This is really diplomacy in its rawest sense,” the spokesman said.
This year isMr Dujarric’s 26th General Assembly, but despite the countless hectic days, he has never lost "the sense of awe" that comes with being part of the historic gathering. "When [I] walk into the General Assembly ... I still feel like it's my first one."
Last year, Mr Trump's arrival at the UN was somewhat hampered by an apparently broken escalator that stopped working after he stepped on it. A UN spokesman later said one of his entourage could have set off a safety function by walking backwards, causing the escalator to stop.
Mr Trump complained about the incident, and an apparently faulty teleprompter during his speech, implying it was indicative of the wider decay of the world body.
“I hope the escalator won’t stop this time, and we have less drama to deal with,” a UN staff member could be heard saying in the main cafeteria, buzzing with delegates who had managed to snatch a rare break for some overpriced snacks.
