_{THE GOOD BEYOND THE GRIDLOCK}

Traffic in New York ...

Traffic in midtown Manhattan averages 4 miles per hour during the UN General Assembly’s “high-level week,” according to the New York Department of Transportation. Helen Teitelbaum Lewyn, who commutes to work near the UN, says closed streets and motorcade-blocked bus lanes make it faster to walk.

Rachmani says more than once during a previous UNGA week, he got out of a taxicab and walked.

... Traffic around the world

Traffic delays are commonplace for the 1 billion people worldwide who lack all-weather roads. Only half of the world’s city dwellers had easy access to public transportation as recently as 2019.

But the United Nations and its partners are making transportation safer and more efficient in many such places. In Cairo, the UN helped plan a rapid transit system of electric buses that will connect to existing transportation options including the Cairo Metro. The bus system, scheduled to open on a trial basis in October, will eventually carry 126,000 passengers per day.

Across Africa, where 1 billion people walk or ride bicycles each day, the UN convenes governments, the private sector and others to improve corridors for pedestrians and cyclists. Efforts include doubling the number of protected bike lanes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and helping the Rwandan government plan for more nonmotorized transport in a changing climate.

“We’re really trying to keep those billion people a day safe and comfortable,” says the UN Environment Programme’s Carly Gilbert-Patrick. Safe transportation is central to several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and will be a major topic of discussion at the upcoming General Assembly.

Security in New York ...

When world leaders visit your neighborhood, police checkpoints precede them. New York officials told ABC 7 news in 2023 that hundreds of police vehicles protect dignitaries near the UN and beyond during UNGA. “We cover a whole 360-degree view of what could happen, where are they going to go,” New York Police Department Assistant Chief John Hart said.

For McKie, increased security means navigating roadblocks and showing identification to get into her building after a trip to the deli.

... Security around the world

Inside those barriers, leaders are meeting to ensure that another kind of security is proffered to countries that are building peaceful societies. Peace and security are central to the UN’s work since its founding in the aftermath of World War II. The UN facilitates talks to mediate and prevent conflict and has deployed 1 million people in 70 peacekeeping operations since 1948.

A UN peacekeeping operation that started in Côte d’Ivoire in 2004 disarmed 70,000 combatants and strengthened human rights. Current missions protect civilians and maintain security in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and more. At the General Assembly, officials will review peacekeeping operations including ongoing efforts to bring a political settlement to Cyprus.

Economic Benefit to New York ...

The influx to New York during UNGA each September brings mixed blessings for businesses. Some shop owners say traffic congestion slows deliveries. But Byrnes says visiting delegations spend a lot at nearby establishments.

Byrnes calls the UN meetings a “holiday season” for hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops. “For our retailers, it’s like two weeks of Mother’s Day.” (The National Retail Federation estimated American consumers spent $254 per person on their mothers for the 2024 holiday.)

“UNGA brings tens of thousands of international visitors, more than 140 world leaders and thousands of diplomats. Restaurants and local businesses see a major boost during this period … We welcome everyone to this year’s 79th session,” said Ed Mermelstein, the International Affairs Commissioner for the mayor’s office.

... Economic Benefits around the world

The UN promotes small businesses, which account for 90 percent of global commerce and employ 60 percent of the world’s workers.

The UN’s Empretec entrepreneurship program has trained 500,000 entrepreneurs to run small businesses. And the UN Development Programme trains and equips hundreds of young farmers in Cameroon. UN stabilization efforts in Chad have helped 50,000 people return to entrepreneurship.

The Global Entrepreneurship Network, a UN and U.S. Department of State partner, runs a business incubator in Johannesburg that helped African startups earn $40 million in revenues and hire 500 people into high-skilled jobs in five years. The network was launched by the Kauffman Foundation, based in Kansas City, Missouri. Promoting sustained economic growth is one of the top items on the 2024 UNGA agenda.