Guterres Praises Papua New Guinea for Diversity and Climate Leadership

Secretary-General António Guterres delivers remarks at a meeting of the Parliament of Papua New Guinea.

The Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea proves that embracing differences can be the world’s greatest strength, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a speech to parliamentarians in Port Moresby on Wednesday.

Guterres is the first serving UN Secretary-General to visit the country, which is celebrating 50 years of independence. He praised its tremendous diversity, with over 800 languages spoken and countless traditions.

“And yet, you have a shared commitment to speak with one voice – to having ‘one talk’ – for peace, dignity and progress,” he said.

“You are champions of multilateralism and international solutions. That spirit is urgently needed in our world today.”

He added that Papua New Guinea offers powerful lessons to the world, the first being forging consensus through dialogue. The country has spent the past 50 years building “a single nation out of many traditions, many islands, many tongues,” a challenging process.

Last Saturday marked 24 years since the Bougainville Peace Agreement, which ended a decade of conflict and established the autonomous Bougainville region. Guterres noted that while the conflict left deep scars, both Papua New Guinea and Bougainville have maintained peace for over two decades.

Another lesson from Papua New Guinea is bold climate action. This visit marked Guterres’ first to the Pacific since the International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion affirming that addressing climate change is a legal obligation under international law.

He highlighted the leadership of Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, and the wider Pacific, particularly young people, who make up 60 per cent of the population. “Your voice will be integral again during the annual UN climate conference in Belem, Brazil,” he said, warning that efforts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C are at risk.

He urged countries to submit new national climate plans covering all emissions and to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels. He also called for increased climate finance, including contributions to the loss and damage fund, doubling adaptation finance, and delivering $300 billion per year over the next decade.

Guterres stressed that peace and progress must include women. He noted that UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed visited five years ago for the launch of the Spotlight Initiative, the world’s largest effort to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

In March, the Papua New Guinea parliament devoted an entire day to testimonies on gender-based violence, marking a vital step.

“Ensuring greater voice and representation of women is not only a matter of justice — it is a matter of national strength,” he said.

“Families thrive. Communities grow stronger. Institutions become more responsive when we uphold the rights of all.”