IMMEDIATELY following his arrival in New York for the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has issued a statement commending UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres for his definitive, courageous opening speech to the General Debate.
Opening the session today, Secretary-General Guterres delivered a blunt, historic address warning world leaders that global “fault lines are widening” and “cracks have become canyons”. In a defining moment for his legacy, Guterres zeroed in on climate change as the world’s “most profound intergenerational power imbalance” and forcefully declared that global polluters must finally be held accountable and be made to “pay”.
Responding directly to the UN chief’s address, Prime Minister Marape praised Guterres’ unyielding leadership and stated that PNG and its regional neighbours stand in solidarity with his mandate.
“Secretary-General Guterres spoke with the raw honesty the world needs,” Prime Minister Marape stated.
“He was entirely right to state that those who hold the largest carbon footprints must pay for the damage their emissions cause. Developing nations and Pacific Island communities continue to suffer the worst consequences of a climate crisis they did not create. PNG offers its full support to the Secretary-General’s call. We must transition from voluntary aid to mandatory accountability. It is time to make the polluters pay.”
An Emotional UNGA Finale with a True “Friend of the Pacific”
This high-level week carries a lot of emotional weight for Papua New Guinea and the wider Blue Pacific family, marking the final UNGA General Debate presided over by Secretary-General Guterres before his historic tenure concludes at the end of 2026.
Over his decade of service, Guterres has established himself as an unyielding champion for climate justice for the Pacific region, consistently echoing the warnings of Pacific States that keeping global warming below 1.5°C is a matter of survival against rising sea levels and changing weather patterns.
The connection between the UN leader and Pacific’s leaders will take centre stage on Friday, 25 September from 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM during a high-level meeting between them and the Secretary-General.
The multilateral dialogue will allow the regional heads of State to stand as a unified front, solidifying collective security and locking in Guterres’ climate legacy before he departs office.
Prime Minister Marape will also join fellow leaders at the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Leaders Breakfast on Thursday morning to coordinate regional climate positions.
The Backstory: A Connection Forged in the Rainforests of PNG
The unique friendship between the UN chief and the Pacific was solidified during the Secretary-General’s historic, four-day official visit to Papua New Guinea from 2 to 5 September, 2025, which took place before the nation’s 50th Independence Anniversary.
During that unprecedented visit, Guterres travelled extensively into the heart of the country alongside Prime Minister Marape, journeying as far as Nuku in West Sepik to view the rainforest canopy as part of the global forest and climate conservation agenda.
Throughout that field tour, the head of the UN moved the people of PNG by praising their unbroken democracy and calling them “champions of international solutions”. Significantly, his remarks on global peacebuilding highlighted
the Bougainville process as a shining example of how long-standing conflicts can be resolved maturely through trust and continuous dialogue.
Connecting Peace, Nature, and Climate Advocacy This Week
The lasting impact of the Secretary-General’s leadership serves as the central connecting thread for Prime Minister Marape’s demanding itinerary in New York.
â—ŹThursday, 24 October: Directly aligning with Guterres’ commendation of PNG’s conflict-resolution legacy, Prime Minister Marape will deliver a vital keynote address to the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission Ministerial Meeting, sharing PNG’s homegrown blueprint for enduring harmony based on the parliamentary tabling of the Bougainville referendum.
â—ŹThe Pacific Multilateral: The Friday morning PIF Leaders bilateral session with Guterres will lock in regional commitments to environmental resilience, ensuring the Blue Pacific Continent speaks with one voice on the global stage.
The Culmination and a Farewell
The historic week will officially reach its peak on Friday, 25 September for Prime Minister Marape.
Immediately following his delivery of the Papua New Guinea Country Statement to the 81st UNGA General Assembly, confirmed at 1pm, local time (3:00 am, Saturday, 26 September, PNG Time), the Prime Minister will pay a private one-on-one courtesy call on the Secretary-General at the UN headquarters.
This personal meeting will allow the Prime Minister to express the deep gratitude of the people of Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific to a leader who gave the Blue Continent a strong, uncompromised voice on the world stage.