Marape farewells UN Secretary-General as he departs the country
Prime Minister James Marape farewelled United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday at Jackson’s International Airport following his historic four-day visit to Papua New Guinea, the first ever by a UN Secretary-General since the country joined the UN family in 1975.
The Prime Minister described the visit as a “milestone moment” for the nation, coinciding with its 50th
Independence Anniversary and strengthening PNG’s partnership with the UN.
“He was not just in Port Moresby as head of the United Nations family; he is responsible for all citizens of
planet Earth in terms of a moral voice, the advocacy, a pointer to directions. He stepped out of Port Moresby with me … into rural Nuku (West Sepik Province) that depicts the 85% of our people who still are living in the rural pockets of our country,” Prime Minister Marape said.
During his time in Papua New Guinea, Secretary-General Guterres honoured the memory of founding father Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare in Wewak (East Sepik Province) before travelling with the Prime Minister to Nuku in West Sepik Province. There he interacted warmly with citizens, shaking hands with mothers, elders, and children, and viewing community-based UN programs in action.
He later travelled to Mount Hagen (Western Highlands Province) where he met with beneficiaries of UN
initiatives in peace-building, gender-based violence response, maternal health, youth development and
education, staying late into the night to engage in dialogue.
Prime Minister Marape praised the Secretary-General’s humility and dedication, saying:
“You have certainly inspired us to lift our game as far as working to 'leave no child behind and no place
behind'. You have entrenched our relationship … and more importantly our subscription to leaving no place and no child behind.”
In his farewell remarks, Secretary-General Guterres expressed admiration for Papua New Guinea’s 50 years
of uninterrupted democracy and commitment to peace.
“Papua New Guinea is a country with 50 years of uninterrupted democracy … a remarkable example in
today’s world, and I want to pay tribute to that and to express my deep admiration,” he said.
He also highlighted Papua New Guinea’s crucial role in the global fight against climate change.
“Papua New Guinea does not contribute to climate change. Papua New Guinea has a negative emission
record … And the same international community that receives the enormous benefit of Papua New Guinea’s forests and oceans must pay back.”
Calling for climate justice and reforms in international financing, the Secretary-General emphasized that
idle income developing nations such as Papua New Guinea must have access to concessional funding to
support resilience and sustainable development.
“This is an injustice that must be corrected,” he stressed.
Prime Minister Marape thanked the Secretary-General on behalf of the people of Papua New Guinea for his visit and leadership, noting that it had further anchored the UN–PNG partnership at a pivotal moment in the country’s history.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Papua New Guinea, I express our profound gratitude to
Secretary-General Guterres for choosing to be with us in this historic moment. His visit has strengthened the bonds between Papua New Guinea and the United Nations and reinforced our collective commitment to peace, climate justice, sustainable development, and leaving no one behind,” Prime Minister Marape said.