United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will be in the country this week as he begins a series of visits starting next week — in the Pacific Islands and East Asia.

First, he will go to Samoa from 21-23 August, where he will meet with Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa. His visit will focus on the impacts of climate change in the country.

He will then briefly touch down in Auckland, New Zealand, on 23-24 August, where he will meet with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.  From there, he will go to Tonga from 24-27 August, where he will participate in the Pacific Islands Forum.  He is expected to meet with the Prime Minister of Tonga, Mr. Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni, as well as other leaders attending the Forum.

The Secretary-General will also undertake various site visits to see the impacts of the 2022 tsunami and raise awareness of the importance of climate action measures, including early warning systems, adaptation and mitigation.  His visit will also serve as an opportunity to emphasize the impact of sea level rise in the region and beyond.  In both Pacific countries, the Secretary-General will engage with local communities and civil society representatives, including young people.

The Secretary-General will then go to Timor-Leste from 28-31 August, where he will take part in the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Popular Consultation in the country, which was organized by the United Nations.

He’s expected to meet with Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and President José Ramos-Horta and other senior officials.

Mr. Guterres will then head to Singapore on 1-2 September, where he will meet with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Wong Lawrence.

And, from 2-5 September, he will be in China.  Among other engagements, he will take part in the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, where he will highlight the importance of South-South cooperation to build solidarity and drive progress on shared development goals.  While in the capital, he will also meet with senior Government officials.