• Commonwealth:
• Secretary-General holds talks with Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister

Secretary-General holds talks with Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister

13 August 2008

Sharma on first official visit to the country since he took office in April

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma held talks with Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare in the capital, Port Moresby, on 13 August 2008. It was the Secretary-General’s first official visit to the Pacific country since he took office in April this year.

The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister discussed the Commonwealth’s technical assistance to Papua New Guinea in building the country’s capacity through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation. The Fund administered by the Commonwealth Secretariat has provided more than 3.2 million kina (£640,000) worth of direct assistance to Papua New Guinea in the past five years, as well as regional assistance to the Pacific worth 5 million kina (£1 million) annually and pan-Commonwealth assistance worth 25 million kina (£5 million) a year. The Secretary-General undertook to examine further assistance possibilities in the judicial sector.

Current technical assistance involves the provision of advisory services on maritime boundary delimitation for the preparation of an extended continental shelf claim under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the reform of national maritime zones legislation. The Commonwealth Fund has also assisted the Government of Papua New Guinea on the development of a Tourism Master Plan in 2006, and the provision of technical support to the National Cultural Centre Trust through the funding of a consultant to draw up a strategy and operational plan with the aim of preserving traditional cultures and supporting eco- and cultural tourism. Eighty Papua New Guinea officials have received training in key areas of national development in the past five years, while more officials have been trained this year on public sector reform, public sector financial management and the development of e-government strategies and rural governance. The country’s fisheries sector has also benefited from the development of a fisheries-specific entrepreneurial training programme for Pacific Island countries and 300 small and medium-sized enterprises in Papua New Guinea have gained advantage through training courses for entrepreneurs. The Commonwealth Fund has also offered training on the development of the garment and knitware industry through professional advice on the choice of machinery and use of technology for mass production.

The Commonwealth Fund is appointing a governance expert who is likely to be co-located with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji Islands as part of the Commonwealth’s support for the Pacific Plan.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary-General also discussed Papua New Guinea’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and its impacts on livelihoods and the economy. On the home front, they discussed the situation in Bougainville and the upcoming election of a new president for the autonomous government. Both Sir Michael and Mr Sharma also exchanged views on developments in the Pacific region and the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum which they will both be attending from 19-21 August in Niue.

The Secretary-General also called on the Minister for National Planning and District Development Paul Tiensten. They discussed the conservation of natural resources for sustainable development and the move towards public-private partnerships for financial mobilisation and risk management.

Mr Sharma, who is on a two-day visit to Papua New Guinea from 12 to 13 August, also met the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Gabriel Pepson, and other senior officials. He also toured the national museum to view artefacts and other examples of the rich cultural heritage of Papua New Guinea.

The Secretary-General leaves for Australia on 14 August for the second leg of his tour of the Pacific region.