𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗖𝗙 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

MEDIA STATEMENT

Port Moresby | Monday, 30 June 2025

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has issued a powerful call to the international community for urgent and united action to safeguard the world’s forests and oceans—describing them as the “lungs and lifeline of our planet.”

Speaking during his keynote address at the 42nd Meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board held in Port Moresby, the Prime Minister welcomed global climate leaders to Papua New Guinea and underscored the nation's vital ecological and cultural heritage.

“Our country, with just under half a million square kilometres of land and ocean, holds 6 to 7 percent of the world’s biodiversity,” Prime Minister Marape said. “From the vast rainforests of the Highlands to the pristine coral reefs of our islands, we are custodians of an environmental treasure that belongs not only to us but to all humankind.”

The Prime Minister stressed that preserving these critical ecosystems is not just a national responsibility but a global imperative, urging partners to increase support through climate financing, sustainable development initiatives, and collaborative conservation efforts.

The 42nd GCF Board Meeting, held for the first time in Papua New Guinea, brings together international leaders and stakeholders to deliberate on climate financing strategies aimed at addressing the global climate crisis.