United Nations Deputy-Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed, will be in Port Moresby on 8 March 2020, to commemorate International Women’s Day and to officially launch, the Spotlight Initiative.
The Spotlight Initiative is a global multi-year partnership between the European Union and the United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030.
Papua New Guinea will benefit from an investment of USD $22 million (over K75 million) over three years from the initiative, which is in support of the Government’s commitment and leadership on this issue.
The program is aimed at strengthening capacities to implement the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Strategy, expanding on innovative social norms transformation programmes, strengthening the justice, child protection, and health sectors, improving data quality, and supporting local and community-based organizations in their response on this issue.
During her visit the Deputy-Secretary General will meet with Prime Minister James Marape, Deputy Prime Minister Davis Steven, Foreign Affairs Minister Patrick Pruaitch, Health Minister Jelta Wong, Minister for Bougainville Affairs Puka Temu and other senior government officials.
The three-day visit includes a series of consultations with youth representatives and human rights defenders representing the four regions of Papua New Guinea, women leaders, people living with HIV, development partners and the private sector and a visit to the highlands of Papua New Guinea to engage with communities and stakeholders working to promote development and peacebuilding.
During the visit, the Deputy-Secretary General will focus on solutions for the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.
With an aim to leave no one behind—the visit will highlight climate action and economic diversification through green growth.
The Deputy Secretary-General will discuss human rights, education, health, and the UN’s continued support to the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the work in the highlands to promote development and peacebuilding.
Her delegation will include Under-Secretary-General Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director and Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.
The Deputy-Secretary General’s mission marks the highest-level official UN visit to Papua New Guinea since it became a Member State in October 1975.
