Annan applauds Papua New Guinea Government, Bougainville sides on parliament vote

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, today warmly congratulated the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville parties on the successful outcome of an historic vote in the Parliament that had given legal effect to the Bills implementing the Bougainville Peace Agreement of 30 August 2001.

“The vote shows that the Government is determined to secure a lasting peace,” a spokesman for Mr. Annan said in a statement released today at UN Headquarters in New York.

The spokesman said that the Secretary-General noted “with appreciation” the efforts of the UN Political Office on Bougainville and those of the regional Peace Monitoring Group, which contributed to the progress of the peace process on the island.

“The Secretary-General would like to assure the parties that the UN Office will continue to assist them in implementing the Agreement, especially in the area of weapons collection and disposal,” the statement said.

Mr. Annan called upon the Bougainville parties to redouble their efforts aimed at the removal of weapons from Bougainville communities and to begin the process of post-conflict rehabilitation and peace-building.