Inside the United Nations New York, United States Mike Segar Perspective by Mike Segar Added 24 Sep 2015 25 images Advertisement When you arrive at the U.N. headquarters it’s like you’re in a different country. The usual rules of New York don’t apply. I’ve always been fascinated by the building. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar Built on the site of former slaughterhouses, the sense of space is amazing. The buildings are still as grand today as they ever were. Usually we move through the building so quickly without the opportunity to pause and appreciate the grandeur of the place. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar "Non Violence" is a bronze sculpture by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward of an oversized Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver. It has this timeless architecture that’s a combination of art deco and modern. It’s like walking through a canyon surrounded by all these amazing art works. It’s beautiful partly because it doesn’t feel dated. 22 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar Back in the 1990s it was filled with smoke, there were open bars everywhere. Now it’s far more secure and there are very strict rules once you’re there. Nowadays the building almost has a lonely feeling to it. The headquarters don’t gain the same attention or respect that they used to. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar There’s an atmosphere almost of a bygone era in the complex and the architecture lends itself to that. When the general assembly is in session many areas are closed down. It becomes a very busy place with all the comings and goings. 18 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar I consider it a privilege to be a witness to those seminal moments, for instance when Pope Francis speaks at the U.N. It was the same when the last pope spoke in 2008, or when Queen Elizabeth addressed the assembly two years later - happening to coincide with half time during a World Cup semi-final. 18 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar As for the Security Council, whenever it’s in session you’re not allowed on to the floor but have to take photos from a booth. This time round I was granted access. When you are there, with the table of the President and the gavel in front of you, the weight of the decisions they make really hits home. 22 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar Chairs for Heads of State are seen behind security tape inside the Secretariat Building. There are some very funny memories too. When Libyan leader Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi addressed the assembly in 2009 he went on for hours as he accused the veto-wielding powers of the Security Council of betraying the principles of the U.N. charter. Older journalists told us at the time it was like when former Cuban leader Fidel Castro took to the podium. This was our Castro moment. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar Interpretation earphones lie on a delegate desk inside the General Assembly hall. Gaddafi just wouldn’t stop. The president of the General Assembly at the time was Libyan and sitting in a prominent spot behind Gaddafi. You could see the embarrassment and exhaustion on the president’s face as his leader rambled on and on. 1 / 16 Slideshow 18 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar The United Nations flag flies in front of the Secretariat Building at the headquarters in New York City. 18 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar The United Nations Assembly Building is seen at the U.N. headquarters. 18 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar A security guard looks out over the grounds as he patrols. 21 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar A man pauses outside the entrance to the Assembly Building. 21 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar A replica of the Soviet "Sputnik 1" spacecraft hangs above the visitors lobby. 21 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar Two diplomats talk in front of a window between the Secretariat and Assembly Buildings. 18 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar Signs hang above an information booth inside the headquarters. 18 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar A Chinese interpreter translates in a booth. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar The General Assembly Hall is seen from the speakers podium. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY A yellow clock hangs on the wall of a small room reserved for speakers. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar A diplomat walks through a set of curtains to a lounge near the General Assembly hall. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar Diplomats and a security guard chat in a lounge area. 18 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar Diplomats gather for a meeting in a Delegates Lounge at the U.N. headquarters. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY A delegates-only escalator is seen behind a glass wall in the Assembly Building. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar A security guard patrols the roof of the Secretariat Building. 17 Sep 2015. New York, UNITED STATES. Reuters/Mike Segar A security camera hangs from the roof of the Secretariat Building, with the East River and Queensboro Bridge in the background.