Distinguished members of the media, Gutpela evening.
Let me begin by thanking Prime Minister Marape and the Government and people of Papua New Guinea for their very warm welcome.
This is a visit of solidarity.
Dear Prime Minister,
I am perfectly aware of the enormous challenges that you face as you pursue sustainable and inclusive development.
But I have an enormous admiration for the resilience, the courage and the determination of your people.
I am honoured to be the first UN Secretary-General to visit Papua New Guinea — and to join you in celebrating fifty years of Papua New Guinean independence and democracy.
For the past five decades, you have taken on a profound task: to weave your breathtaking diversity into one people, and one country that leaves no one behind.
That process is by no means easy, but it is the spirit of unity and dialogue that the world needs today.
This is a moment of great global turbulence — from conflicts, to the climate emergency, to economic instability and inequality.
Papua New Guinea has felt the pain of these challenges.
But you also provide a model for solutions.
The Bougainville Peace Agreement has now been in place for 24 years.
Its durability is a symbol of what can be achieved through perseverance and mutual respect.
The United Nations has walked with you on this journey –– from weapons disposal to the 2019 referendum –– and will continue to stand beside you as the next phase begins.
I salute the people of Bougainville as they prepare to cast their votes in the fifth autonomous election since the Agreement, and wish them a safe and rewarding polling day.
I also welcome the adoption of the National Prevention Strategy on violence.
Every person deserves to live without fear, regardless of their tribe or gender.
This Strategy is an important step towards that future.
For more than a decade, the UN Peacebuilding Fund has supported complementary efforts –– including conflict resolution, sustainable agriculture, and access to healthcare.
I will have the opportunity to witness this work firsthand around the country where the United Nations is honoured to support your efforts.
We work extensively with young people, who make up a full 60% of Papua New Guinea’s population –– and are one of the nation’s greatest assets.
We must ensure they have the opportunities they need to thrive.
There is another group for whom our partnership is especially relevant ––women.
On this visit, I look forward to meeting with female community leaders.
Violence against women and girls is a challenge that confronts all societies, including Papua New Guinea, and I commend the efforts by the Parliament to address it.Ìý
The contributions of women to this great nation deserve our full recognition and respect.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media,
Papua New Guinea has long led the charge for climate justice. Your country does not contribute to climate change - on the contrary, you absorb CO2- Ìýbut is in the first line of its dramatic impact.
You have emphasized that climate change is a driver of poverty, and been a strong moral voice for climate finance.
Your role in the Pacific Islands Forum declarations on sea-level rise helped to shape the global debate.
As the UN Climate Conference approaches in Brazil, the world must move faster to keep the 1.5 degrees limit alive.
This means an immediate turning point leading to a drastic reduction in emissions that can no longer wait.
The countries of the G20 have a particular responsibility as they are responsible for 80 per cent of climate pollution.
Simultaneously, developed countries must follow through on their commitments on climate finance, with a special emphasis on doubling adaptation finance to allow countries and communities to build resilience.
The loss and damage fund must also mobilize a very meaningful volume of resources, including through innovative sources of finance.
I applaud the decision of the Pacific countries to launch the Pacific Resilience Facility last year, and I appeal to the international community to fund it so that it reaches its full potential.
The COP in Brazil must also produce a credible path to achieve the $1.3 trillion dollar objective decided in Baku.
Just as climate finance is essential, so is development finance.
I applaud Papua New Guinea’s drive to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, action that must be matched by the entire global community.
I reiterate my strong appeal for the reform of the international financial architecture that must reflect the world of today with a much larger participation of developing countries in its institutions and their decision-making process.
This is a basic condition for them to better serve countries like yours.
This includes real action on debt relief; tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks; and the mobilization of private capital at scale to the service of developing countries.
Dear members of the media,
Once again, I congratulate Papua New Guinea on fifty years of independence and democracy –– and thank you for your commitment to multilateralism.
The United Nations stands in solidarity with you, now and in the future.
For your vision, your ambition, and the lessons you teach us all:
Tenk yu tumas olgeta.
Question: ABC Australia - Sir, immigration and the rights of asylum seekers is one of the core issues championed by the United Nations internationally. And you're currently in a country that was used by Australia to detain asylum seekers and refugees between 2004 and 2016. Australia currently has a secret deal with PNG to keep a handful of asylum seekers here, even though it won't disclose how much it's paying. My question is, do you think Australia is responsible for the welfare of these asylum seekers, even though they're not in Australia. They were trying to get to Australia. In January, a UN human rights committee published two decisions stating that Australia retained responsibility for the welfare of those it sent offshore for detention in [inaudible] or Manaus island. So, do you believe that Australia retains that responsibility for those asylum seekers?
Secretary-General: Our position about refugees is clear. It comes from international law. I was high Commissioner for Refugees during 10 years. And my appeal to all countries is to respect international refugee law, which means all borders must be open for those seeking protection, and nobody should be sent back to where they might suffer persecution, and every country has the responsibility to grant protection and assistance to the refugees that cross their borders in search of protection.
Question: My name is Michael [inaudible] from TV1. My question is basically human rights, community and the peace. My question is you have praised PNG for peacefully handling the Bougainville peace Agreement process over years. What role do you see the UN playing after your visit and to the process of peaceful peace agreement process and towards the planned independence?
Secretary-General: [The microphone of the Secretary-General stopped working momentarily. His response was inaudible]
Question: Good evening Secretary-General. The United Nations has engaged with the Papua New Guinea government on economic recovery with reference to COVID-19. Any future support we would receive from the United Nations to Papua New Guinea in terms of what I mentioned.
Secretary-general: Well, first of all, all the UN Country Team we have no UN agenda for Papua New Guinea. Our agenda is to support the government in its strategies and policies, and all our UN agencies are doing their best to fully support the government. But on top of that, we remain with our strong advocacy for the Reform of International Financial Institutions. It is absolutely essential that developing countries have a stronger participation, and that participation being translated into more resources to developing countries that lead them to overcome the enormous challenges of development.
If you have heard me, I mentioned that we need to have effective debt relief. We need to multiply, as it was proposed in the meeting that recently took place in Sevilla, multiplied by three, the volume of resources multilateral development banks put at the disposal of developing countries. And at the same time, we need to have multilateral development banks being able to leverage much more private finance and private investment in support of developing countries, de-risking them in order to make sure that they see it's worth investing in developing countries.
So, on one hand, with our meagre resources, but our total commitment, we are here to support the government. On the other hand, we'll be making global advocacy for the creation of justice and less inequality in the international financial system, to the benefit of countries like Papua New Guinea.
Thank you very much.
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