Buka – The new United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator for Papua New Guinea (PNG), Gianluca Rampolla, is currently visiting the Autonomous Region of Bougainville together with a delegation from the UN Peacebuilding Support Office, UN Department of Political Affairs, UN Population Fund, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women and UN Development Programme.
The three-day visit marks the first for Mr. Rampolla outside of the nation’s capital, with peace building, women in leadership and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be high on the agenda for discussion.
Mr. Rampolla will meet with President, Dr. John Momis, and key counterparts from the Autonomous Bougainville Government(ABG) and key counterparts as well as other key partners working together with both the Government of Papua New Guinea and ABG on implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA).
Accorded a traditional welcome upon arrival to Buka Airport, Mr. Rampolla was welcomed by the ABG Vice President, Mr. Raymond Masono, and other senior members of the Government.
Mr. Rampolla said: “The United Nations has a long history in Bougainville, dating back to the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement in 2001, and the people of the region can be assured that we will continue to cooperate and collaborate with both the National Government of Papua New Guinea, the ABG and other development partners to continue to demonstrate our commitment to the peace process.”
The UN’s work in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville is primarily implemented via support from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). The fund was established in 2006 out of the recognition that among the impediments to successful peace building is the scarcity of resources, most notably financial resources.
Secretary for the ABG’s Department of Peace Agreement Implementation, Mr. James Tanis, said that without UN support the Bougainville peace process would not be where it is today.
“The UN, through PBF resources, has been our lifeline. They have been able to fill the gaps that other donors are unable to cover,” said Mr. Tanis.
“As a government, we request the UN to be one step ahead of the game. They always have been, and I have no doubt they always will,” he added.
Mr. Rampolla will also use the visit to meet with the Bougainville House of Representatives’ three women members, ex-combatant parliamentary representatives, as well as with partners working to further both gender and youth empowerment in the region.
ENDS
Media Contacts:
Chika Kondoh, Communications Specialist at the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO)
