Prime Minister Hon. James Marape returned to Papua New Guinea this afternoon after attending the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States, saying PNG had used the Global Forum to speak strongly for Peace, Human Rights, Climate Action and responsible International Leadership.
Prime Minister Marape arrived at the APEC Terminal at Jackson’s International Airport, where he was received by Deputy Prime Minister Hon. John Rosso, Cabinet Ministers and Senior Government Officials. Holding a Press Conference upon arrival, Prime Minister Marape thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for providing leadership during his absence and said he was pleased to be home after representing PNG at the high-level gathering. The Prime Minister said the 81st Session had been well attended by Heads of State and Government, with much of the international discussion centred on Contemporary Conflicts, Global Economic Pressures and Climate Change. He said
Papua New Guinea was fortunate to be located in a relatively peaceful Pacific and Asia-Pacific Region and should never take that Peace for granted. “We live at a time in Earth’s history where many wars are happening on the face of our planet,” Prime Minister Marape said. “I want to say thank you, not just to ourselves here in PNG, but our Pacific and our Asia-Pacific part of the world that has relatively been very much peaceful to date, apart from our localised issues.”
Prime Minister Marape said PNG’s contribution at the United Nations also highlighted fundamental Human Rights, including Freedom of Conscience and Religion. He pointed to Section 45 of the PNG Constitution, which protects freedom of conscience, thought and religion, saying PNG could maintain its Christian identity while respecting the right of every person to practise, or not practise, a religion. The Prime Minister also called on major Global Powers to recognise that decisions taken elsewhere could have significant consequences for smaller countries such as PNG. “Rich country or poor country, big or small, mighty or not mighty, it doesn’t matter, we live on one planet,” he said. “The consequence of decisions made elsewhere is seen at the cost of a family buying food for the household, a family buying fuel. So big nations especially must use their powers responsibly.” Prime Minister Marape said Climate Change remained prominent in his engagements, including discussions with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and other Pacific leaders. He said scientific discussions he attended reinforced the seriousness of Global Warming and its implications for PNG. “Climate Change is all cross-cutting. Those Meetings give us, as Policymakers of Government, an opportunity to study what’s happening outside and bring back appropriate Policy measures to localise so that we are not caught by surprise,” he said.
Prime Minister Marape also held engagements with International Leaders and Senior Officials on the margins of UNGA, including an exchange with United States President Donald Trump and discussions with Senior US Officials. He said
PNG continued to advocate a Relationship with the United States increasingly focused on Trade and Investment, including opportunities in Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, ICT and Artificial Intelligence, alongside Mining and Petroleum.
The Prime Minister also reported engagements involving Pakistan, India, Israel and Australia as PNG continues expanding and diversifying its Diplomatic and Economic relationships. “These visits enable the relationship between two nations, not just Government-to-Government, but Government-to-Business, Business-to-Business and People-to- People, to flourish,” Prime Minister Marape said. Prime Minister Marape said PNG would continue using international engagements to advance its national interests, expand markets and investment opportunities and ensure the concerns of Pacific Nations were heard in Global Forums.