Readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with H.E. Mr. Ano Pala, Foreign Minister of Papua New Guinea

The Secretary-General met with Foreign Minister Ano Pala of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Secretary-General shared with the Minister his priorities for his second term –notably sustainable development –with climate change and progress on the MDGs as central. He said his visit to the Solomon Islands and Kiribati and his presence at the Forum were intended to help sound the alarm about climate change.

The Secretary-General and the Minister also discussed women's empowerment. The Secretary-General thanked the Minister for the focus Papua New Guinea was putting on this topic. They also exchanged views on Papua New Guinea's contributions to UN peacekeeping and cooperation in Bougainville.

Auckland, 6 September 2011