Toroama meets Guterres

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a group photo after meeting with AROB President Ishmael Toroama in Port Moresby. (L-R) Sir Ano Pala, Ezekiel Massat, ABG Attorney General, Prime Minister James Marape, UNSG Antonio Guterres, AROB President, Ishmael Toroama, Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso, Bougainville Regional MP, Peter Tsiamalili Jnr, and Foreign Affairs Minister, Justin Tkatchenko (Image: Supplied)

President Ishmael Toroama has appealed to the United Nations for support in Bougainville’s political journey.

President Toroama met with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, in Port Moresby on Wednesday.

In a meeting with Antonio Guterres, President Toroama reaffirmed Bougainville’s commitment to peace, democracy and the rule of law.

President Toroama reminded the UN that the majority of Bougainvilleans voted for independence in the 2019 Referendum, urging the international community to uphold that democratic choice.

He also presented a copy of ‘The Bougainville Memoir’ to the Secretary General, saying the region’s story of peace and reconciliation can inspire the world.

He also called for the restoration of a UN political office in Bougainville. Mr. Guterres acknowledged Bougainville’s commitment to the Peace Agreement, assuring continued support for the peace process and the Melanesian Relationship Agreement, signed between Prime Minister James Marape and President Ishmael Toroama in June.

‘The Bougainville Memoir’, captures Bougainville’s struggles, triumphs and the path to independence.