U.N. General Assembly 2021 Welcomes Biden, World Leaders, BTS

New York City NY

20 September, 2021

12:00 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — Biden, BTS and Bolsanaro — the only event that can bring those bigwigs together is back in New York City. The 2021 United Nations General Assembly kicks off Monday for a weeklong extravaganza of speeches, world leaders rubbing elbows and traffic woes for Manhattanites. President Joe Biden planned to arrive Monday afternoon for the event — which went all virtual last year out of concerns over the coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio during his daily briefing called on world leaders to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He then singled out Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who planned to thumb his nose at the city's vaccination rules, according to reports. "We need to send a message to all the world leaders, including most notably Bolsonaro from Brazil, that if you intend to come here, you need to be vaccinated," de Blasio said. "If you don't want to be vaccinated, don't bother coming. Everyone should be safe together." Bolsonaro is unlikely to pay much heed to de Blasio's needling, or visit the vaccination bus the city is setting up outside the United Nations building. But the mini-controversy is also unlikely to overshadow a full week of events, beginning with global pop sensation band BTS helping spotlight 17 U.N. goals for 2030 ranging from ending poverty and protecting the planet to achieving gender equality, providing every child a quality education and ensuring healthy lives for all people. Climate change is expected to loom large on the agenda, as is the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, leaders from more than 100 nations will be meeting for a semi-locked down affair in one of the pandemic's hardest-hit cities of all. De Blasio acknowledged the event can be a headache for New Yorkers, despite the benefits of showcasing the city's place on the world stage. "I want to urge all New Yorkers: avoid the area around the United Nations on the east side of Manhattan," he said. "It's going to be congested for most of the week, but again, there's a lot of good things happening this week that we're happy to have back." The Associated Press contributed to this report.