PNG should not be a ‘free rider’

WHEN it comes to telling the world about Papua New Guinea and its abundant natural resources, our national leaders stand tall to impress the world.
Prime Minister James Marape’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly last year was nationalistic in the sense that it very much portrayed PNG as a viable developing country in the face of global challenges and his government has placed much emphasis in the development aspiration of PNG to achieve better socio-economic and political wellbeing.
His speech received major coverages in the media channels of the nation.
A local newspaper carried full pages coverage of the speech whilst the National Broadcasting Corporation and other radio stations reported the speech in its entirety.
The same media attention and coverages were given to the special envoy Wera Mori (Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Minister) and his team to Cop26 meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, to present PNG’s position and potential in this important global summit on climate change and green-house gas effects on the globe.
The nation does not know how much it cost to pay for the prime minister and his delegation’s trip to the United Nation General Assembly in New York, United States, and the further entourage to Texas to get the gas project deals signed.
As in the case of the Cop26 summit, it cost the nation around K5 million.
Impressing the global audience on PNG’s standing from the United Nation General Assembly podium is one aspect of diplomatic responsibilities and likewise, has to be backed by the show of real commitment as a member nation to the agreed principles and conduct all member nations have agreed to.
This demonstrates to the global member nations of these important international organisations and forums that PNG leaders are not just talkers but are doers and uphold these international commitments with integrity.
The National, last Monday in its second page, gave a very small coverage on PNG as one of the eight nations losing their voting rights in the United Nation General Assembly.
The reason being that PNG has not paid its financial dues.
Though the article was small, the impact is diplomatically embarrassing and damaging.
The message from this article is that PNG is very poor that she can’t pay her financial dues to this important multinational organisation
This failure should not happen at all.
This creates uneasiness to our serving diplomats at the United Nations, especially when our prime minister was given the privilege to present PNG to the global audience and since then, nothing substantial has emanated from the nation’s coffers to support the cause of the United Nations in its global humanitarian work.
The United Nations has never failed PNG on its development agenda, whether it was to do with health, education, family and domestic violence issues, youth and women programmes, natural disasters and so forth.
To turn a blind eye on this very important organisation that protects human lives, dignity, freedom, and aspiration is not right.
There are innocent people in nations such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Syria, Palestine and others who are suffering every day.
As it is, every nation on the face of the planet need to assist earnestly in terms of humanitarian aid.
Papua New Guinea does not deploy military troops to serve in international peace-keeping duties as Fiji does, so it is important to provide the financial support to the United Nations when it is due.
PNG professes to be a Christian nation.
Furthermore, if smaller nations in the region such as Fiji, Samoa, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands can live up to this international obligations, then PNG leaders should hang their heads in shame for failing its citizens and the nation at the global arena as a larger nation among the Pacific island states.
The Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry should tell the nation why this important international obligation was never prioritised and given the attention it required as agreed to in principles.
It is the responsibility of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to advise the Government on such international obligations.
Where does PNG currently stand in the global arena, especially without a voting right?
The negligence by the Government portrays PNG as a “free rider” nation, thus, living off other nations financial contributions while its diplomats serving at the United Nations are powerless in terms of voting rights and are made to look as window curtains and stooges.
This not right.

Emmanuel Allen Mungu,
Son of Finschhafen,
Pom