Prime Minister Hon. James Marape urged United Nations member states today to recognize the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, stating that global decisions must protect the planet for future generations.
Speaking at the 81st UN General Assembly session in New York, Prime Minister Marape emphasized that environmental destruction transcends all political, economic, and religious differences because humanity shares only one habit- able Earth.
“There is one reality that transcends every political, economic and religious difference between us: We have only one Earth,” the Prime Minister stated.
“There is no other known habitable planet presently within the practical reach of humanity to which billions of people can simply relocate if we destroy this one.”
The Prime Minister stated that Papua New Guinea acts as a vital global custodian for significant tropical forests, rich biodiversity, and vast ocean territories.
He noted that for Pacific island nations, environmental preservation is not an abstract international debate but a baseline necessity for daily food security, fishing, and survival.
He concluded by asking world leaders to include the interests of children and future generations at the core of all major economic and environmental policy decisions, noting that “future generations cannot stand before this General Assembly today and argue for themselves. We must consider them when we make decisions.”