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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s like you’re surfing on a giant wave, and all you’re trying to do is survive until the end of the week,\u201d Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, told The National.<\/p>\n \u201cYou run on adrenalin.\u201d<\/p>\n World leaders, ministers and officials can be seen walking the streets around the UN headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, occasionally stopping to greet an acquaintance or speak to a journalist.<\/p>\n With badges around their necks and dressed in formal attire, the UN General Assembly delegates come from around the world<\/a> and almost everyone is carrying a coffee cup.<\/p>\n \u201cSleepless nights start now,\u201d lamented a journalist working for a news wire, before adding: \u201cBut it\u2019s exciting and exhilarating.\u201d<\/p>\n For Middle Eastern countries in particular, the week will be an opportunity to engage in intensive diplomatic talks aimed at finding solutions to conflicts<\/a> across the region, particularly the Iran war, which has had a significant impact on the global economy.<\/p>\n For Mr Guterres, the focus will be on recommitting to the ideals of the UN and trying to get member states to deal with \u201crunaway risks\u201d<\/a>, whether it’s artificial intelligence, climate change or inequality, Mr Dujarric said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have requests already for about 1,000 bilateral meetings between member states,\u201d he said, adding that it is an \u201copportunity for heads of state and governments to meet each other in very discreet ways\u201d.<\/p>\n Rare breaks<\/p>\n The UN provides booths that can usually be booked in half-hour slots for meetings between delegations. \u201cThis is really diplomacy in its rawest sense,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n ‘A giant wave’: What it’s like inside the UNGA rush<\/p>\n This year is Mr Dujarric\u2019s 26th General Assembly, but despite the countless hectic days, he has never lost \u201cthe sense of awe\u201d that comes with being part of the historic gathering<\/a>. \u201cWhen I walk into the General Assembly \u2026 I still feel like it’s my first one.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 a member of his entourage could have set off a safety function by walking backwards, causing the escalator to stop.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790069894_454_poster.jpg\")
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