Prime Minister (PM) James Marape is expected to meet with the Secretary-General of United Nations, Antonio Guterres at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Tonga this week. Mr. Guterres sent a request through the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Port Moresby to PM Marape for the special bilateral meeting which will be held on the margins of the PIF summit. In his letter, the Secretary-General commented positively on the Marape-led Government’s efforts in progressing the Bougainville peace process and acknowledged it as one of the best models of conflict resolution taking place in the world today. He also acknowledged Papua New Guinea as a leading forest nation, and a leading nation among the countries in the Pacific outside Australia and New Zealand, placing PNG ahead to engage in discussions with PM Marape on issues of local and global importance. PM Marape welcomed the opportunity to meet with Mr. Guterres, saying he looks forward to engaging in the discussions with the head of the United Nations. “PNG, as usual, will continue to advocate for our ocean and forest resources and for industrialized nations to honour their climate change mitigation commitments,” said PM Marape.