The Prime Minister. Hon. Peter O’Neill CMG MP, has called for immediate direct action to assist island communities that are facing devastation as a consequence of climate change. Speaking at the Third Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Samoa on 1 September, the Prime Minister also argued the case for a new approach to development planning that is more in keeping with Pacific values.
Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill further proposed that the United Nations Secretary General set up a framework to monitor commitments by states and agencies at the SIDS Conference. The Prime Minister made his comments against the backdrop of the SIDS conference endorsing the ‘SAMOA Pathway’ that is intended to guide sustainable SIDS development for the next 15 years with a focus on core challenges faced by island nations. In relation to the prospect of rising sea levels causing the dislocation of island communities around the world, Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill drew on the experience of people from the Catarat Islands. “The men, women and children of the Catarat Islands became climate change’s first refugees where the entire population was relocated to safer ground,” Prime Minister O’Neill said. “Sadly, they will not be the last, as there are so many island communities around the world facing the same prospect of climate-induced migration. “Together, Pacific Island states call on the global community to act now to help the communities facing these disasters. “These threats to the island communities were not caused by the islanders themselves – but they need help from those countries that dis cause this issue.” The Prime Minister provided information to the SIDS Conference on the paradigm shift is taking place in Papua New Guinea’s approach to development. “We are moving away from the old mentality of allowing unrestricted growth, to one of managed economic growth,” the Prime Minister said. “In Papua New Guinea we have great wealth in our minerals, in our fisheries, and in our forests and in our agricultural land. We owe it to future generations to manage these resources so that they last, and that the wealth is shared equally among stakeholders.” Through the Pacific Development Assistance Program he said Papua New Guinea is taking this developmental approach to the support it provides for Pacific island states. “Papua New Guinea is encouraging a new approach and leading the way with a development revolution. This will put our people first before commercial interest.” The Pacific Development Assistance Program provides support to partner states in areas that include education, healthcare, technical capacity building, climate change action and reconstruction following natural disasters. In endorsing the SAMOA Pathway as the key deliverable from the SIDS Conference, PM O’Neill further urged small island states to embrace difficult decisions that will move the SIDS agenda forward, but also called on development partners to keep their promises. “To ensure fairness, accountability and transparency, there should be ongoing review and assessment of the action, or even the inaction, of development partners,” Prime Minister Hon. O’Neill noted. “This includes developed countries, the United Nations, international financial institutions and international organisations that also have a responsibility for the delivery of commitments under the SAMOA Pathway. “In this regard, I wish to call on the UN Secretary General to establish a framework to review, monitor and assess the performance of development partners in the delivery of their promises that we are making today.” The SAMOA Pathway highlights priority development challenges facing SIDS, such as climate change, disaster risk management, sustainable energy, water and sanitation, oceans and seas, biodiversity, health and NCDS, education, culture and sports, and economic development. Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill returned to Port Moresby following the first day of the conference as Parliament is currently sitting. Papua New Guinea will continue to be represented over the remaining three days of the conference by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Rimbink Pato MP, and Minister for National Planning, Hon Charles Abel MP. Comments are closed.
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