Prime Minister James Marape welcomed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to the National Parliament today, describing the visit as a historic affirmation of the enduring bond between the country and the UN.
Addressing Parliament, PM Marape said the Secretary-General’s presence in Port Moresby highlighted not only the international community’s confidence in Papua New Guinea but also the shared values that have underpinned the nation’s development journey since independence.
“Sir, you are most welcome to our land and to this People’s House,” PM Marape told Mr Guterres. “Your visit affirms the enduring partnership between Papua New Guinea and the United Nations family. Your speech today embraces Papua New Guinea, and for this I say thank you.”
PM Marape reminded the House and guests that Papua New Guinea’s story extends far beyond statehood in 1975. He reflected on the country’s rich cultural and civilizational history, pointing to UNESCO-recognized sites such as the Kuk Early Agricultural Site, which shows evidence of organized agriculture dating back 7,000–10,000 years.
“Our valleys, islands and atolls are home to over 800 living languages — a reflection of our geography and our long, proud civilizations,” he said. “This linguistic richness is not simply a statistic. It is a living archive of human knowledge, creativity, and community.”
He further noted the significance of traditional systems such as the kina and toea, traditional currencies that once facilitated vibrant exchanges among communities and still influence Papua New Guinea’s identity today.
PM Marape traced PNG’s special relationship with the United Nations to its early days, reminding Parliament that the UN played a key role in overseeing the former Territory of New Guinea under trusteeship before independence.
“Our bond with the UN is therefore foundational,” he said. “Barely weeks after our flag was raised, the United Nations General Assembly admitted Papua New Guinea as a full member. That decision placed us within the international community with equal dignity and responsibility.”
PM Marape also paid tribute to the UN’s involvement in the Bougainville peace process, from monitoring the ceasefire and overseeing weapons disposal to supporting the 2019 referendum.
“This partnership shows the UN’s enduring commitment to sustaining peace beyond signing of agreements,” he stressed. Support in Health, Disaster and Humanitarian Crises
The Prime Minister highlighted several critical moments when UN agencies had stood by PNG, including the 2018 polio outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic, and natural disasters such as the 2015–2016 El Niño drought and the recent Mulitaka landslide in Enga Province.
“From immunizing three million children against polio to delivering food and supporting displaced communities, the UN’s humanitarian work has saved lives and built resilience in our most remote communities,” he said.
Looking to the future, PM Marape outlined his government’s ambitious economic vision, which aims to lift PNG into a K200 billion economy by 2030 and a K500 billion economy within two decades.
He emphasized that growth must be “green, resilient and inclusive,” driven by clean energy, high-value agriculture, responsible resource use, and digital inclusion.
“For us right now, it is not aid but trade we are in search of,” he told the Secretary-General. “These are not just numbers. They are the means by which every child learns, every mother survives childbirth, every community is connected, and every entrepreneur, especially our SMEs and rural households, can thrive.”
PM Marape set out five priority areas for deepened collaboration with the UN system:
1. Education and human capital — from early childhood to tertiary and TVET.
2. Healthcare and resilience systems-strengthening immunization and maternal health.
3. Women’s safety and leadership — ending gender-based violence and sorcery related violence.
4. Climate resilience and nature-positive growth- protecting forests, oceans, and biodiversity.
5. Peacebuilding and governance — ensuring electoral integrity, service delivery, and support for Bougainville’s post-referendum process.
PM Marape endorsed Secretary-General Guterres’ global calls for urgent climate financing and reform of international financial systems to support vulnerable economies like PNG.
“Standing forests and healthy oceans are global assets,” he said. “Value must flow to our people and local communities.”
He added that reformed financial mechanisms must allow small island and climate-vulnerable states to invest in development without “drowning in debt.”
Concluding his address, PM Marape described the PNG–UN partnership as tangible, visible in vaccination cards, food deliveries, safe shelters, and dialogue processes that underpin peace. He thanked the Secretary-General for choosing to visit Wewak, Nuku, and Mount Hagen, including paying respects at the resting place of founding father Sir Michael Somare.
“On behalf of this House and the 10 million people of Papua New Guinea, I extend to you, Excellency Secretary-General, our greatest gratitude for your leadership,” PM Marape said.
“We too will be a committed partner, blending a symphony of unity amidst diversity-one people, one nation, one country.”