PRIME Minister James Marape will be leading a Ministerial Delegation to the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from September 21-26 in New York City.
PM Marape has appointed Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Soroi Eoe as Acting Prime Minister in his absence.
This will be his first visit to the UNGA and United States of America in person in his capacity as Head of Government during this COVID-19 period.
He will also engage in a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General H.E. Antonio Gueterres on current UN assistance to PNG and how future assistance can be effectively drawn down.
Additionally, PM Marape will participate in a Pacific Islands Forum Leaders (PIFL) virtual meeting with Secretary-General Gueterres and will deliver a statement on the impact of COVID-19 in the Pacific region
He will also engage in a series of virtual meetings including with US Secretary John F. Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change, with Pacific Island Leaders and advocate for effective drawdown of climate adaptation and mitigation funds for PNG from the global community, some of which are major contributors to global warming.
PM Marape will deliver the PNG Country Statement to the UN General Assembly on Friday, September 24th, at 3.45pm New York time. In this statement, he will inform on PNG’s development issues, how the UN can better complement it and our progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He will also inform the global community, particularly certain industrialised countries, to support Small Island States (SISs) that are adversely impacted by global warming through no fault of ours.
“On forest conservation, the message will be for global climate fund institutions that continuously tell us to preserve our vast tracts of rainforest, to pay those development dollars for our basic services such as health, education and quality economic infrastructure,” PM Marape said.
Following his attendance at the 76th UNGA, PM Marape and entourage will fly to Houston to meet with the Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil, to discuss and conclude the Heads of Agreement (HoA) for P’nyang Gas Projects.
PM Marape and ExxonMobil will also review how PNG LNG is tracking after seven years of production.
This will be the first a PNG national leader is visiting the global headquarters of ExxonMobil.
PM Marape and entourage have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before travel.
-Press Release-
