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UN chief Antonio Guterres arrived in Samoa this week at the start of a two-week trip to the Pacific.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is making his first visit to the Pacific in five years, with a trip taking in Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga and Timor-Leste.
The core mission of Guterres’ visit is to attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting held in Nuku’alofa on Monday.
During his visit to Tonga, he will visit areas still recovering from the 2022 tsunami, hold Pacific Islands Forum dialogues with leaders, and host bilateral meetings.
The Secretary-General’s spokesman hoped that the visit would “raise awareness of the importance of climate action measures, including early warning systems, adaptation and mitigation”.
“His visit will also be an opportunity to highlight the impact of rising sea levels on the region and beyond,” spokesman Farhan Haque said.
The Pacific tour began yesterday in Samoa, focusing on climate change, before stopping in Auckland for a Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxembourg said he was particularly interested in hearing about the latest developments in ceasefire talks in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“This is a great opportunity for both sides to put aside their differences, to really sit down at the negotiating table, to reach a ceasefire agreement and to start a real resolution to the conflict. Military action will not resolve this,” he said.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he had dinner with Guterres on Friday evening.
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