World leaders are returning to the United Nations in New York this week with a focus on boosting efforts to fight both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, which last year forced them to send video statements for the annual gathering.

While the outbreak of coronavirus continues amid inequitable vaccination rollouts, around a third the 193 U.N. countries plan to send video statements again, while the presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers are expected to travel to America.

Although the United States attempted dissuade U.N. General Assembly leaders from traveling to New York to try to keep it from turning into a super-spreader events, Joe Biden will speak to the assembly personally. It is Biden’s first U.N. trip since his election. The U.N. honor system allows anyone who enters the hall to declare that they have been vaccinated. However, they don’t need to prove it.

When Brazil speaks, this system will end. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declared that the vaccine is unnecessary because he was already infected with COVID-19.

Should he change his mind, New York City has set up a van outside the United Nations for the week to supply free testing and free shots of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Antonio Guterres, U.N. Secretary General, stated to Reuters that discussions about how many diplomats may have been immunized showed “how stark the inequality today” in vaccination. His goal is to create a plan that will allow 70% of the population to be vaccinated by 2020.

Only 2% of the 5.7 billion coronavirus vaccinations distributed around the globe have reached Africa. Biden hosts a meeting with chief executives and leaders from Washington on Wednesday to discuss ways of increasing global vaccine distribution.

Biden’s U.S. COVID-19 concern about U.N. gathering will be demonstrated by his 24 hour stay in New York. He will meet with Guterres and make his first U.N. address Tuesday.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield (his U.N. Envoy) said that Biden will “speak to the top priorities of our country: Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic, Combating Climate Change…and defending democracy and international rules-based order…

The pandemic has forced U.N. delegations to be reduced to smaller numbers. Virtual events or hybrids of virtual and person will dominate the U.N. sidelines. Afghanistan and Iran are two other areas ministers will be discussing during this week.

The annual speeches will not begin until Monday. Guterres, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Guterres will open the week by holding a summit to attempt to rescue a U.N. summit, which starts in Glasgow (Scotland) on Oct. 31.

The U.N. COP26 conference aims at obtaining more ambitious and financial climate actions from all participants, as scientists have warned that global warming could spiral out of control.

Guterres stated last week to Reuters that “It is time to listen to the alarm.” We are at the edge of an abyss.