Activities of Secretary-General in Tonga, 24-27 August
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, from New Zealand, on Saturday evening, 24 August.
On Sunday morning, he met with Baron Waqa, the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum. He then attended a church service for all the leaders and delegates of the Forum. This was followed by a private Sunday lunch with the Forum Leaders.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General held a series of bilateral meetings at the Tanoa Hotel. He first met with Sitiveni Rabuka, Prime Minister of Fiji. This was followed by a meeting with Wesley Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia and then with the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Mark Brown.
The Secretary-General then attended a late afternoon tea at the cabinet chambers of the Prime Minister of Tonga, Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni. He then returned to the Tanoa Hotel for bilateral meetings with Hilda Heine, the President of the Marshall Islands, and then with Feleti Teo, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu.
He also met that evening with the UN country team and local UN team leaders.
On Monday 26 August, the Secretary-General spoke at the opening of the fifty-third Pacific Islands Forum. He praised Pacific Island leaders for their collective commitment to environmental stewardship and regional peace and called the region a beacon of solidarity and strength.
“The world has much to learn from the Pacific. But, the world must also step up to support your initiatives,” he said. The Secretary-General underscored that the survival plan for our planet is simple: ending the exploitation of coal, oil and gas — fairly, and in a way that protects the most vulnerable. All countries have a part to play, he said. He also urged Pacific island States to end their own dependence on imported fossil fuels and seize the benefits of the clean energy revolution. (See Press Release SG/SM/22342.)
After the opening, the Secretary-General met with Charlot Salwai, Prime Minister of Vanuatu and then with James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.
The Secretary-General then visited a school where he met with children and launched a book that is part of a series that teaches kids on how to prepare and respond to natural disasters. The book was produced in partnership with a non-profit organization and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). He then went to the Tonga Broadcasting Corporation, which serves as the primary communications centre in the event of a natural disaster. The Tonga Broadcasting Building is also one of the evacuation centres for the eastern side of the capital. This site allowed the Secretary-General to officially commission a new Tonga radar — the second one after Fiji in the Pacific Region — sponsored by New Zealand.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General met with youth leaders at the Parliament House and heard their views on a wide range of topics. He then visited the Hakake sea wall and heard from the coastal community there. The sea wall was recently built by the Government and partners, including the UN Development Programme, to mitigate the negative effects of sea level rise. The 2022 Hunga Tonga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami destroyed significant parts of the sea wall and displaced the communities and families who lived there. In the evening, he attended a dinner hosted for leaders attending the Forum.
The next day, the Secretary-General gave an interview to BBC Radio. This was followed by the dialogue with the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum.
At 11:30 a.m., the Secretary-General returned to the Tanoa Hotel and held a joint press conference with Professor Celeste Saulo, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization. The two of them launched a technical brief on sea level rise, as well as WMO on the state of the climate in the South-West Pacific.
The Secretary-General said that he was in Tonga to issue a global SOS on rising sea levels. “The sea is taking the heat — literally,” he said, adding that the WMO report and technical brief confirm that sea levels in parts of the region are rising even faster than the global average — in some areas, at almost double the pace. But, what happens in Tonga did not start in Tonga, and it doesn’t end here, he said. Surging seas are coming for us all — together with the devastation of fishing, tourism and the Blue Economy. The Secretary-General called on the world to act and answer the SOS before it is too late.
After the press conference, the Secretary-General met with Jeremiah Manele, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands. He then met with members of civil society.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General visited with communities from Kanokupolu, where there used to be a beach resort that was destroyed two years ago by a tsunami. After his visit, he headed for the airport.
The Secretary-General departed Tonga for Timor-Leste on 27 August in the evening.