James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, said that this year, his country celebrates 50 years of independence and 50 years of membership in the United Nations.  The national Constitution that has endured for half a century protects human rights, affirms Christian heritage while guaranteeing freedom of religion, safeguards culture and protects environment, while Papua New Guinea is extraordinarily diverse — with over 1,000 tribes living on 600 islands, he said.

The Constitution binds his people as one nation and one country, he emphasized, adding that Papua New Guinea has known conflicts.  For a decade, the island of Bougainville suffered violence, but through dialogue under UN oversight, the country achieved the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement.  Not a bullet has been fired since it was signed, he continued.  Earlier this year, Secretary-General António Guterres visited Papua New Guinea and praised its achievements but also recalled the need to fight corruption.

He went on to say that Papua New Guinea’s tropical forests absorb carbon and produce oxygen, vast Pacific waters are part of the world’s greatest carbon sink and the nation’s rivers, reefs and ecosystems shelter unique biodiversity.  “Our ancestors passed on a liveable planet to us,” he emphasized.  Just as Papua New Guinea finds unity in its diversity, the world can do likewise.  “Peace is built and sustained through dialogue and not through war,” he said.  “This one planet must be preserved for all generations,” he concluded.