Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has appealed directly to the leaders of the world’s major powers at the 81st United Nations General Assembly today, requesting that they balance commercial interests with human welfare and exercise international power responsibly.

Speaking during the general debate in New York, Prime Minister Marape detailed how economic and military decisions made by wealthy, powerful nations directly impact ordinary families and small business owners thousands of kilometres away in developing countries through disrupted supply chains and inflated food, fuel, and transport costs.

“This is why leadership in powerful nations carries responsibilities beyond national borders,” PM Marape stated.

“With greater power comes greater responsibility. Papua New Guinea respectfully asks the leaders of the world’s major powers to remember the ordinary people whose lives can be affected by decisions made far away from them.”

Prime Minister Marape noted that while Papua New Guinea is a developing nation dealing with its own internal challenges, its perspective as a Pacific island state highlights the interconnected nature of the modern global economy.

He stated that greenhouse gases and oceanic pollution do not respect national borders or immigration checkpoints, causing communities that contributed minimal emissions to suffer the worst consequences of rising sea levels and extreme weather.

PM Marape urged global leaders to favour dialogue over armed conflict, arguing that “leadership is not measured only by the power a nation possesses. Leadership is also measured by the responsibility with which that power is exercised.”