UN to build NCD office

By LUKE KAMA
THE United Nations (UN), one of country’s major development partners, will build its office complex in Port Moresby.
Haoliang Xu, the UN assistant secretary-general and regional director for Asia and the Pacific, was in the country yesterday for the launching of the office site.
He was joined by Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari, UN resident coordinator for PNG Roy Trivedy, Secretary for Foreign Affairs William Dihm and government officials.
Xu, also the assistant administrator for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said the approach they had taken over the years had changed from being a grant provider to being a development partner.
“And having our office here means we are changing the way we are doing things to really take on some of the development challenges ourselves,” Xu said.
Trivedy thanked the Government for allocating a piece of land next to Morauta Haus to build the office complex.
He said Papua New Guinea continued to grow as a Pacific leader and UNDP remained committed to working with the Government to progress its development goals.
Lupari assured the UN bodies that the Government was committed to working with them in dealing with regional and global issues.
“The importance of the project signifies the good relations PNG and UNDP share. And the land offered to build their office is a token of appreciation for the good things UNDP has done for the people of PNG,” Lupari said.