Papua New Guinea prepares to welcome UN Deputy-Secretary General

Port Moresby - Her Delegation will include Under Secretary General Ms. Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director and Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.

The Deputy-Secretary General’s mission marks the highest-level official UN visit to Papua New Guinea since it became a Member State in October 1975.

The delegation will be in Papua New Guinea to commemorate International Women’s Day and to officially launch, with the Government and the European Union, the Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women and girls.

The Spotlight Initiative is a global multi-year partnership between European Union and United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030.

Papua New Guinea will benefit from an investment of USD22 million (over K75 million) over three years from the Initiative, which is in support of the Government’s commitment and leadership on this issue. The programme is aimed at strengthening capacities to implement the Gender Based Violence (GBV) Strategy, expanding on innovative social norms transformation programmes, strengthening the justice, child protection and health sectors, improving data quality, and supporting local and community based organizations in their response on this issue.

During her visit the Deputy-Secretary General will meet with the Prime Minister Hon James Marape, Deputy Prime Minister Hon Davis Stephen, Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Patrick Pruaitch, Health Minister Hon Jelta Wong, Minister for Bougainville Affairs Hon Puka Temu and other senior government officials.

The three-day visit includes a series of consultations with youth representatives and human rights defenders representing the four regions of Papua New Guinea, women leaders, people living with HIV, development partners and the private sector and a visit to the highlands of Papua New Guinea to engage with communities and stakeholders working to promote development and peacebuilding.  

During the visit the Deputy-Secretary General will focus on solutions for the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.  With an aim to leave no one behind—the visit will highlight climate action and economic diversification through green growth. The DeputySecretary General will discuss human rights, education, health and the UN’s continued support to the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the work in the highlands to promote development and peacebuilding.

The UN remains a longstanding partner to Papua New Guinea, having established its presence a few months after Papua New Guinea’s independence. There are currently 11 UN entities in Papua New Guinea that supports the Government to implement the country’s development priorities.