Pacific tour

Guterres in Fiji for three-day visit

Mr Guterres will receive a traditional welcome Wednesday morning in Suva before meeting the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Baron Waqa and Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor.

The UN chief will meet Fiji's president and hold bilateral talks with the Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama on Thursday before addressing parliament.

Mr Guterres has been invited to lay a wreath at the national war memorial in Veiuto and sail around Suva harbour on a traditional sailing canoe.

He leaves on Saturday for Tuvalu and ends his Pacific island tour in Vanuatu.

 

UN head to mobilise world around Pacific climate needs

Antonio Guterres attended a community roundtable event in Auckland Monday, as he kicked off his Pacific tour.

He departs for Fiji on Tuesday before heading to Tuvalu and Vanuatu to complete his regional tour.

Mr Guterres said the Pacific islands were the first victims of climate change.

"Not only some of them because of the rising level of water represents an existential threat, some might disappear, but also because of course climate change brings with it a lot of negative consequences," he said.

New Zealand PM's breakneck tour a hit with islands

Jacinda Ardern has completed a whirlwind trip of the Pacific Islands, stopping in Samoa, Niue, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

It was her first trip as Prime Minister, where she took the chance to meet with all the heads of the countries.

At every island there was a visit to some sort of school and it was in these moments that Ms Ardern shone the most.

She seemed to thoroughly enjoy the encounters with children. She laughed and joked with them and sat patiently through many performances.