António Guterres … praised [the island nation’s] tremendous diversity, with over 800 languages spoken and countless traditions.

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“And yet, you have a shared commitment to speak with one voice – to having ‘one talk’ – for peace, for dignity and for progress,” he said.

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Teaching the world

Against this backdrop, “Papua New Guinea offers a number of powerful lessons to the world,” he said, with the first being the art of forging consensus through dialogue.

The country has spent the past half century building “a single nation out of many traditions, many islands, many tongues”, which has not been easy.

Last Saturday, 30 August, marked the 24th anniversary of the Bougainville Peace Agreement. The 1998 accord between the Government and separatists ended a decade of conflict and established the autonomous Bougainville region.

Mr. Guterres said that while the conflict left deep scars, Papua New Guinea and Bougainville have stayed the course of peace for more than two decades.

“You have shown the world the path of healing through dialogue, perseverance and mutual respect,” he said, adding that people in Bougainville will go to the polls on Thursday in the fifth autonomous election since the agreement.

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Leadership in climate action

Another lesson from Papua New Guinea has been bold climate action, he continued.

This was the Secretary-General’s first visit to the region since the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest judicial body, issued a landmark advisory opinion affirming that addressing the climate crisis is a legal obligation under international law.

As Pacific countries played a central role, the advisory opinion “is a testament to the leadership of Papua New Guinea, Melanesia and the wider Pacific region, particularly your young people, who make up 60 per cent of your population”, he said.

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Representation of women

The UN chief noted that Papua New Guinea once hosted peacekeepers, but today is a champion of peacebuilding and sustainable development.

“But, no story of peace or progress is complete without fully including half of the population. This is another area where you have the opportunity to set a global example,” he said.

He recalled that UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed was in the country five years ago to launch the Spotlight Initiative — part of the world’s largest effort to end all forms of violence against women and girls, a challenge that exists in all societies.

In March, the national parliament devoted an entire day to testimonies on gender-based violence, marking a vital step.

“Ensuring greater voice and representation of women is not only a matter of justice — it is a matter of national strength,” he said.

“Families thrive. Communities grow stronger. And institutions become more responsive when we uphold the rights of all.”