99-year Special Purposes Lease presented to build UN Haus

Port Moresby – Honourable Justin W. Tkatchenko, Minister for Lands & Physical Planning presented the Lease to Mr. Gianluca Rampolla, United Nations Resident Coordinator in a ceremony held at the office of Land Department on Tuesday.

The issuance of the Lease is a milestone for the UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes in Papua New Guinea. The land on which the office complex will be built is in close proximity to the government offices and development partners located in Waigani District, which further strengthens the partnerships to achieve the national development priorities through a collective commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaking at the occasion, Honourable Justin W. Tkatchenko said “We work with people to utilize the land for long term development, it is our responsibility to make sure that it is done correctly and properly for the benefit of everyone. It is a pleasure for me to officially hand over the 99-year lease for the land in Waigani City Centre to the UN to build a UN Haus. I am sure the UN will build a nice iconic building.”

Thanking the government, Mr. Gianluca Rampolla said “This lease symbolizes the strength of the partnership between the UN, the government and the people of Papua New Guinea.

The Green UN Haus will be the house of all Papua New Guineans. It will be designed to aesthetically reflect elements of both PNG traditions and modernity, providing for a new land mark in Port Moresby. The Green UN Haus will be built under a public-private partnership model, and will allow important cost and energy efficiencies, we will make use of indigenous materials, environmentally-friendly systems, conservation of water, natural lighting, and recycling. I am very grateful to the Government of Papua New Guinea for its continued commitment to the achievement of the SDGs and to the friendship and partnership with the United Nations.”

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the government, media and the United Nations.