PRIME Minister James Marape has called for stronger international efforts in the sustainable management of natural resources worldwide. During a recent panel discussion hosted by Conservation International, he emphasized the urgent need for global cooperation to address the challenges of sustainability and conservation.
Highlighting Papua New Guinea’s “mega richness,” Mr. Marape pointed out that the country is home to up to seven percent of the world’s biodiversity, shares the title of the world’s third-largest tropical rainforest (jointly with Indonesia), and possesses a substantial portion of the world’s marine resources. This unique position underscores the importance of protecting and managing these natural assets.
Patricia Zurita, a spokesperson for Conservation International, introduced Mr. Marape at the meeting and noted a significant financing gap of between $700 million to $1.3 billion annually that needs to be addressed to effectively support nature conservation efforts globally.
Mr. Marape led a panel discussion focused on the necessity of securing financing to protect and conserve nature worldwide. His address underscored the critical importance of safeguarding our planet’s natural wealth and urged the international community to unite in investing in these essential efforts.
Accorded the prime spot on the panel to open the meeting, Mr. Marape introduced Papua New Guinea and highlighted its leadership role in biodiversity, tropical rainforests, and marine resources. The panel discussion was part of the series of meetings held on Day 2 of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.
In his remarks, Mr. Marape stated, “We have created a global financing system that is rewarding anything but nature, yet we depend on nature for everything.” He called for stronger global efforts in the sustainable management of natural resources, emphasizing the need to rally financial support from investors toward nature conservation, food sustainability, and marine resource protection.
Panelists acknowledged Papua New Guinea’s biodiversity and marine richness, sharing their various endeavors in conservation and the financing mechanisms they have developed to channel resources toward these causes. “We (PNG) hold a lot of stakes in the conversation on conservation. A lot of people showed respect to PNG today because of what we have in nature—our biodiversity, rainforests, and marine resources,” Mr. Marape remarked after the meeting.
He expressed gratitude to Conservation International and the World Economic Forum for providing a platform to advance discussions on financing nature conservation. “It was a good turnout of private and public sector partner engagement, where we all share the view that we belong to one planet that hosts finite resources, and these resources need to be sustainably managed,” he added.
Looking ahead, Mr. Marape has invited Conservation International to Papua New Guinea to continue these important conversations, proposing a meeting to be held later this year or in 2026.
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