This week, it’s worth embracing a calmer approach to life at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development and relinquishing any sense of authority over your own schedule.
You thought you needed 15 minutes to get to the venue? Add another hour driving and 20 minutes walking — plus a few minutes for rehydration. Thought you’d get right into the venue upon arrival? Add a standstill line for registration and three layers of security. In other words, if you want to get anywhere “on time” you should come at 4:00 a.m. and never leave the main conference center.
The United Nations was also strict on media accessibility today, only allowing journalists to access the area where the main plenary, roundtables, announcements, and official events are held with a U.N. escort. There are some events like this — the G20 summit, for example, blocks most journalists from attending any discussions at all — but it’s not the norm, and can make it difficult to access delegates before they jump into their air-conditioned cars.