Before departing the country this afternoon, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres praised Papua New Guinea as a global example of democracy and climate leadership, during a farewell joint press conference with Prime Minister James Marape at Jacksons International Airport. The press conference marked the conclusion of Mr. Guterres’ four-day visit to PNG the first by a UN Secretary-General in the nation’s 50 years of independence. Prime Minister Marape welcomed the UN chief on behalf of PNG’s 10 million citizens, acknowledging his visit to Mount Hagen city where he met local leaders and beneficiaries of UN programs in health, education, and mental health. “You have certainly inspired us to lift our behavior as far as leaving no child behind and no place behind,” Mr. Marape said. He described the visit as a historic moment, strengthening PNG’s relationship with the United Nations, which it joined in 1975. Mr. Guterres expressed gratitude for what he described as the “warm and generous hospitality” he had received. He highlighted PNG’s political record as a model in a challenging global context. “Papua New Guinea is a country with 50 years of uninterrupted democracy. In a world where democratic values are under threat, we should all be grateful for this remarkable example,” he said. On climate change, the Secretary-General underlined PNG’s importance as a “negative emissions” country due to its vast rainforests and oceans, which absorb more carbon than the nation produces. “The international community benefits from Papua New Guinea’s forests and oceans, and must give back,” he said. While calling for climate justice and urging reforms in the global financial system to better support developing nations. Mr. Guterres also called for greater international backing for PNG’s development priorities in education, health and infrastructure, stressing the importance of “a modern society that leaves no one behind.” The visit concludes a four-day program in which the Secretary-General visited communities, government leaders, and UN-supported projects across Papua New Guinea.