Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has announced the historic upcoming visit of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency António Guterres, to Papua New Guinea in early September 2025—marking a momentous occasion in the nation’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Prime Minister Marape confirmed today he has received formal communication from the Office of the Secretary-General confirming His Excellency’s visit to Papua New Guinea from 2nd September 2025.

“We are deeply honoured that the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency António Guterres, has accepted our invitation and will visit us in the month of our 50th Independence Anniversary,” Prime Minister Marape said. “While he is unable to join us on the actual Independence Day on 16th September due to commitments with the UN General Assembly in New York, he will be with us earlier in the month and will dedicate up to two or three days to this important visit.”

This will be the first time a sitting Secretary-General of the United Nations has visited Papua New Guinea, making it a historic milestone in the country’s diplomatic relations and multilateral engagements.

“His visit is not only symbolic of the United Nations’ recognition of Papua New Guinea’s achievements over the past 50 years of independence, but also of our leadership in global issues such as sustainable development, climate action, biodiversity, and peacebuilding— particularly the Bougainville Peace Process,” said Prime Minister Marape.

“This is akin to the global head of governance visiting our country during our most important national celebration. It is a mark of great respect to the people of Papua New Guinea and our growing place in the international community.”

The Prime Minister noted that the only previous visit by a senior UN leader to Papua New Guinea was by the Deputy Secretary-General, H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, in 2020. The visit by Secretary-General Guterres is therefore a new and significant milestone.

Prime Minister Marape also announced a series of other high-level visits to Papua New Guinea by world leaders in the lead-up to Independence Month. This includes the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who will make an official visit on 4th August 2025, among other dignitaries scheduled to visit throughout August and September.

“These visits affirm Papua New Guinea’s increasing engagement in global affairs and our status as a respected member of the international community,” Prime Minister Marape said. “As we celebrate 50 years of independence, these gestures of goodwill from our partner countries and multilateral friends reaffirm our place in the family of nations.”

The Government will release further details on the Secretary-General’s itinerary and accompanying programmes in the coming weeks.