UN Secretary-General commends PNG for forging consensus through dialogue amid global turmoil

It was a historic moment for Papua New Guinea as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the National Parliament, becoming the first serving UN Secretary-General to visit the country.

In his speech this morning, Guterres spoke of the pressing global challenges, stating that progress against poverty has stalled, barbarous conflicts unfold on livestream, and the climate crisis continues to accelerate, with extreme weather and rising sea levels threatening communities worldwide.

“It’s a fact the people of Papua New Guinea know all too well,” he said.

Guterres said geopolitical tensions, runaway technologies, growing inequalities, and shrinking democratic space have converged into a volatile new reality.

“However, in the face of these storms, Papua New Guinea offers a number of powerful lessons to the world, and that is the art of forging consensus through dialogue,” he said.

He praised PNG’s leaders over the past half-century for their efforts to weave a single nation from many traditions, islands, and languages.

“This task has not been easy, but our leaders have been determined to move forward, step by step,” Guterres said.