Papua New Guinea has secured new financial commitments for regional climate initiatives and joined other Melanesian leaders in agreeing to pursue a regional response to reported human rights abuses in West Papua, Prime Minister James Marape said.
Marape made the announcement at a press conference at Jacksons International Airport’s APEC Terminal upon returning from pre-COP31 meetings in Tuvalu and Fiji.
He said he used the preparatory meetings to urge major carbon emitters to provide climate financing proportionate to their emissions. Marape also confirmed that he would not attend the COP31 climate conference in Turkey, with Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso representing PNG instead.
The prime minister said PNG’s position as a major Pacific nation, with extensive forest and marine resources, placed it at the forefront of efforts to address climate change and strengthen regional cooperation.
“Climate change is affecting us directly through rising sea levels and highly unpredictable weather patterns,” he said.
Marape added that PNG had secured climate mitigation and adaptation partnerships with France, the European Union and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through sustained advocacy in multilateral forums over the past seven years. He said more than K500 million in active climate programme funding was being managed in line with the government’s Medium-Term Development Plan.
Push for regional climate financing
Marape said discussions during the pre-COP meetings included replenishing the GCF and securing additional resources for regional climate initiatives.
He cited an A$100 million contribution from Australia and a US$10 million pledge from Fiji to regional mechanisms. He also highlighted PNG’s initial US$5 million contribution to the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), with the intention of renewing the support annually.
PNG wants the PRF to establish a US$500 million facility to finance projects such as land reclamation, solar power and clean water infrastructure, Marape said.
“I used these pre-COP meetings to advocate for big carbon footprint holders to assist climate-related activities with a size and scale that commensurates their global carbon emissions,” he said.
The prime minister said PNG had also maintained a K5 million annual bilateral support package over five years for land reclamation efforts in Tuvalu.
He called for greater international financial support for vulnerable Pacific nations, which face rising sea levels, increasingly unpredictable weather and other climate-related threats.
Marape said the government was pursuing several domestic initiatives, including forest conservation, marine protection under a 30-by-30 initiative, sea walls and island reclamation projects, and improved maritime transport for remote communities.
PNG is also targeting a transition to clean energy generation and the modernization of transport through electric vehicles and machinery by 2035, he said.
Other commitments include maintaining a moratorium on deep-sea mining, protecting coral reefs and working with the United Nations on the Law of the Sea.
Melanesian leaders discuss West Papua
On the sidelines of the regional meetings, leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) held informal discussions on the human rights situation in West Papua, Marape said.
According to the prime minister, the leaders agreed to pursue a formal resolution addressing reported human rights abuses and seeking assurances from Indonesian authorities on the protection of Melanesian populations.
Marape said the discussions acknowledged Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the presence of Melanesian communities in several Indonesian provinces.
“These crucial matters were discussed with the fullest respect to Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, where we openly acknowledged that Indonesia also has Melanesian people residing across several other provinces,” he said.
Marape said he would continue discussions with Indonesia’s ambassador to PNG and raise the matter directly with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during the upcoming APEC summit.
Regional cooperation remains central
Marape said PNG’s participation in regional forums reflected its commitment to supporting Pacific countries facing common environmental and development challenges.
“PNG is an integral part of the PIF family, and as a major holder of ocean and forest resources, our active support to member countries and collective regional solutions is very necessary,” he said.
“When we are in need, it is the PIF that we run to so when PIF is in need, we must help. We belong to the one Pacific family.”
He said the pre-COP meetings also provided opportunities to engage with development partners, exchange research and identify practical solutions to climate-related challenges.
PNG will continue advocating for stronger international financing commitments and regional cooperation as countries prepare for COP31, Marape said.
