Papua New Guinea dropped the bombshell by announcing it will not attend the upcoming 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (UNFCCC COP29) this year.
Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced it at the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small State (CMMSS) in Apia, Samoa, last week.
Tkatchenko said; “Papua New Guinea is making this stand for the benefit of all small island nations. We will no longer tolerate empty promises and inaction, while our people suffer the devastating consequences of climate change.”
He highlighted the various ways climate change is ravaging PNG, from rising sea levels and natural disasters to landslides, floods, and droughts.
“Yet, despite contributing little to the global climate crisis, countries like PNG are left grappling with its severe impacts,” Tkatchenko said.
The Minister said PNG was taking the stand for the benefit of all the small island nations, particularly Pacific Island small states, who have had much difficulty with access to climate finance over the years.
Tkatchenko said the international community was failing to live up to its financial and moral commitments, leaving smaller nations like PNG to fend for themselves in the face of increasingly frequent and severe climate events.
“The pledges made by major polluters amount to nothing more than empty talk. They impose impossible barriers for us to access the crucial funds we need to protect our people.
Despite continuous attempts, we have not received a single toea in support to date,” he added.
Tkatchenko emphasised that the decision reflects the broader frustration felt by nations like PNG which bear the brunt of climate change but see little to no meaningful support from the global community.
The Commonwealth comprises 56 countries of which 33 are small states both island and landlocked including 9 Pacific Island countries out of the total 42 Small States in the United Nations.
The CMMSS is a meeting of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers which is convened prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
It provides a platform for Ministers of Foreign Affairs to discuss challenges confronting commonwealth small states, including concrete action to strengthen resilience of these countries building on existing global development frameworks for sustainable development.
