1st Avenue and 46th Street New York has people in a hurry all the time. Every other person wearing a suit. Networking with everyone they meet. Trying to hide any hint of inferiority. A sense of pride on every face that they finally made it to the very place they studied in the textbooks. The place to which the world looks up to. The place which has the power to either make or break societies. The United Nations.
Having been in and out of the UN Headquarters 10 times by now, I think I formed a good enough outsider perspective to share. Unlike the headquarters of corporate giants, this place does not have a pompous grandeur. It has humility everywhere from everyone including from the Secretary-General His Excellency António Guterres himself. What I see around this place is people embracing their culture. People walk here feeling comfortable in their own clothing, their own language, and their own tradition. One can see interesting conversations sparking everywhere.
This place has a platform to openly talk about the pressing issues in the society including abuse and harassment. In the 63rd Commission for the Status of Women (CSW), I saw powerful women from everywhere raising up their voices to bring a change. I’ve met people who ran for office and won. I’ve met people who lost. I’ve met victims of Harassment. I’ve met people who are trying to fix things in their own capacity. It is very inspiring to see women advocating for various problems all around the world not just through their voice but through solid data backing them.
However, I see a lot of contrasts at this very place. Though the UN inspired this world with Sustainable Development Goals, in its very own home, there is a lack of sustainability. There is abundant usage and promotion of plastic bags in the UN headquarters though eco-friendly solutions like paper and jute already exist. The United Nations also does not receive regular funding forcing them to compromise on several peace missions. Interestingly, this place holds both striking similarities and contrasts with the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, DC, which I visited during the Youth Summit last year. The World Bank is also vision and mission-driven like the United Nations to promote prosperity and end poverty. However, unlike the United Nations, the World Bank is not transparent in its ways and means. Also the World Bank does not look deprived of funds.
Overall, the UN has been trying to bring out beauty in the world of chaos. My perspective is definitely an outsider perspective on the United Nations. I don’t actually know what fuels the UN Staff, their peacekeepers, and volunteers to keep running. But one trait I commonly see among them is the will to build a better world. I wonder if we are truly achieving anything through these regular conferences, summits, discussions, and dialogues. I don’t know if the conclusions from these summits reach any implementation. But one thing this place and its activities provide is inspiration. Someone once told me we are not meant to fix everything in this world. We just have to do our part in our own capacity and the world becomes beautiful. This very place inspires generations of individuals to make a difference in this world. To design a better tomorrow.
UN was born to build a better world through all of us coming together, which we cannot achieve individually. It fosters the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, which refers to the world as one family. The work we do in local communities can be connected to global goals. The UN reminds us what unites us is far bigger than what divides us. There is diversity everywhere and I see the UN acknowledging and celebrating it. Right now, it is extremely important for us to build more bridges and less walls.
As the UN keeps stressing, Let us together raise global voices, not global temperatures!
Vineesha Badabhagni 
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