In a moving session at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) morning dialogue, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Hon. James Marape, GCL, MP joined fellow Pacific Island Forum (PIF) leaders to deliver a powerful message on multilateral reform, while bidding an emotional farewell to outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The high-level meeting marked the final UNGA summit for the Pacific leaders with Secretary-General Guterres before his tenure concludes at the end of this year.
Selected as one of three key Pacific leaders to address the forum, Prime Minis- ter Marape used his platform to advocate for a more inclusive, “fit-for-purpose” global architecture, while sharing a moment of gratitude for Guterres’ lifelong championship of the Blue Pacific continent.
A Call for a UN System that Respects and Empowers the Pacific
PM Marape emphasized that while the United Nations remains an indispensable foundation for international law and collective security, the current delivery of UN programs across the Pacific remains uneven and fragmented.
“Separate funding and reporting requirements place immense pressure on small Pacific governments with limited administrative capacity,” Prime Minister Marape stated, pointing out critical coordination deficits across the UN system.
He highlighted that the Pacific region has already taken courageous steps to reform its own regional architecture under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
The Prime Minister also challenged the United Nations to meet the Pacific’s willingness to evolve with an equal commitment to internal reform.
“We seek a United Nations system that meets that same challenge—one that works with our regional architecture, makes better use of limited resources, and delivers as one system for the Pacific,” Marape urged. “Pacific countries must not only be consulted on decisions affecting our region. Pacific people must be represented where those decisions are shaped and made.”
Honouring A True Champion of the Blue Pacific
The core of the morning’s dialogue was underscored by a deep sense of shared history and emotion.
Throughout his tenure, Secretary-General Guterres has been a fierce, unwavering champion for the Pacific, continuously demanding climate justice and pushing the international community to recognize that for island nations, the 1.5-degree climate threshold is a “red line for survival.”
Reflecting on Guterres’ legacy, Prime Minister Marape went off-script to deliver a heartfelt, personal thank-you on behalf of the entire region.
“Your strong leadership and your genuine love for the Pacific will never be for- gotten,” he said, his voice carrying the collective weight of the region’s gratitude.
“You are possibly the first Secretary-General who has visited more of the Pacific than ever before. You have travelled across our ocean, stood on our shores, listened to our communities, and carried the realities of our ocean and our climate into the very heart of the international system.”
In an earlier address during the session, Guterres himself acknowledged the bittersweet moment, promising the leaders that the courage of the Pacific people would stay with him forever.
“Wherever I am, I will continue to stand with the Pacific,” Guterres promised. “The world needs your voices and your resolve. Keep pushing.”
A United Front for the Future
With the other Pacific leaders, Prime Minister Marape presented a unified Pacific mandate ahead of COP31.
Together, the leaders made it clear that while they are saying goodbye to a dear friend in Guterres, the fight for accessible climate financing, the operationalization of the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), and the preservation of statehood amidst rising seas will continue.
“That is how regional reform can strengthen multilateralism,” Prime Minister Mar- ape concluded. “And that is how multilateral reform can deliver more effectively for our people.”
Prime Minister Marape, later in the afternoon on Friday after his delivery of the PNG Country Statement, paid a courtesy call on the outgoing Secretary-General at his office on the 27th Floor of the United Nations Building.