The leader of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, kicks off a two-week Pacific mission this week when he touches down in Samoa.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is making his first visit to the Pacific in five years, taking in Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga and East Timor.
The centrepiece of Mr Guterres’ mission will be the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, being hosted in Nuku’alofa beginning on Monday.
While in Tonga, he will visit sites still recovering from the 2022 tsunami, engage in a PIF dialogue with leaders, as well as hosting bilateral meetings.
A spokesman for the secretary-general hoped the visit would “raise awareness of the importance of climate action measures including early warning systems, adaptation and mitigation”.
“His visit will also serve as an opportunity to emphasise the impact of sea level rise in the region and beyond,” spokesman Farhan Haq said.
The Pacific sweep began yesterday in Samoa, also focusing on climate change, before a stopover in Auckland en route to the PIF Leaders Meeting.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon said he was particularly keen to be updated on negotiations for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for both parties to step aside and actually get to the table and put a ceasefire in place and actually start to resolve this conflict. It’s not going to happen through military action,” he said.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he was having dinner with Mr Guterres on Friday night.
