By KEVIN PAMBA
PAPUA New Guinea is the poorest country in the Pacific and one of the poorest in the world, according to the United Nations, and it stands to lose from the effects of climate change if the issue is not addressed diligently.
Ousted Madang governor Sir Arnold Amet said this at the National Climate Change regional conference at Divine Word University in Madang yesterday, citing current United Nations and other international reports that have defined poverty in PNG and other countries.
He called on the Government to ensure it addressed the climate change issue with urgency and in the best interest of the majority of Papua New Guineans who are
categorised by the UN as poor.
Sir Arnold said the climate change initiative must not be another pussy footing around effort by politicians and bureaucrats like they had done with the RESI funds for education, NADP funds for agriculture, HSIP funds for health and the HIV/AIDS funds which he described as a scandal.
Sir Arnold told the packed SVD Memorial auditorium that internationalresearch currently available showed that climate change was and would affect the poor far more greatly and this made the majority of Papua New Guineans vulnerable.
He said poverty, as defined by the UN, was not only about lack of food or shelter but it included the lack of access to education, basic literacy and numeracy, health services, information and knowledge, employment and economic ability, communication and transport infrastructure among other needs of the modern age.
Sir Arnold said people in countries like PNG, who lacked most of these modern needs, were going to be the worst affected by effects of climate change.
He said when the sea level rises and floods and landslides occur, those with the
economic means and have access to things like information and knowledge and transport will adapt and save themselves, but the majority of Papua New Guineans will not be able to do the same.
Sir Arnold said climate change was an issue that politicians and bureaucrats could not pussyfoot around as he said they had done with various recent initiatives.
He said the issue must not be complicated with bureaucracy as had happened with the funds he mentioned. We make it complicated.
We have the funds parked away in trust accounts, Sir Arnold said.
He said the climate change initiatives must be workable and easy to access and not wrapped in bureaucratic red tape with funds parked away somewhere or spiffed off by bureaucrats as had happened on many occasions with other Government initiatives.
Sir Arnold called on the Office of Climate Change and Environment Sustainability (OCCES) to inform the people right at the district level and not at regional centres like Madang and not only on issues like carbon trading.
He said information on climate change, including the technical jargon, must be simplified and brought to the people at the district level for their input before the climate change policy and legislation was drafted and formalised.
Sir Arnold said the confusion and chaos at the benefits sharing agreement (BSA) forum on the LNG project in Kokopo in the last two weeks was a result of the lack of information and communication going down to the simple people that matter.
The executive director of the office of OCCES, Dr Theo Yasause, said his officers were working to get the consultation and information process right down to the district level.
The regional forums, which started in Goroka on Monday, are being held to gauge the views and obtain input from a wide range of people for a climate change response policy and legislation for PNG. Today is the second and final day of the conference.
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Re: Sir Arnold Amet - PNG poorest country in pacific
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May 8 2009, 12:44 PM
Poor in money but rich in privately held customary land and resources. In PNG land ownership isn't collected into the hands of only a few, it is much more equitably shared.
The only reason why we're poor in money is because we think when others do the work for us and private the money (also known as "foriegn investment") that somehow we're still going to develop.
No, its not gonna happen. We're last in line to get any economic benefits when all we're providing is the land and resources.
Think about it.
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Arnold Amet always sounds eloquent and fabilous with his big words and puffed up ideas, always talking about this or talking about that. Even at Church he cannot help but preach after the Pastor has finished preaching. GOD can you please make this man shut up and for once DO ACTUAL REAL WORK ON THE GROUND. Please God make him shut up for one whole year,and do work in the electorate as much as he talks. Please Lord you know his empty words are thousands of miles from his heart, and his body is disconnected from his humanity.His smile is plastic, and he lives in the clouds with you Oh God, but we are simple people on the ground oh God, have mercy on us, please make him shut up. He is always finding fault in others but not in himself, please Lord make him humble and allow him to be part of humanity that you loved and sent your Son to die for. He appears as if he is from another planet but Lord remind him that one day he too will die, and we may not allow his body to touch Karkar, Lord give him the wisdom to know when to open his mouth and when to shut up, and for next 12 months let his actions do the talking or he wont get re-elected. Amen.
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S A A as far as I am concerned is in the hands of the people of Madang and ultimately God. You said it Mangi rakrak. I am at a loss to agree with you about so many of those types that are a curse to this great planet. But God allows those crooks to hang on to power and fill the high places in the land.
Let us pray that God weeds out other the pretenders too in the other 109 come 2012.
Wanbel.
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mangirakrak, Why do you have to pray like this in a forum to disqualify and harm ones life? Sir Arnold was once a reputable and respected lawyer - judge - chief judge. Now he's a MP with ministry. Every politician campaign and talk **** to gain power, and he is no exception.
You have a special case with him that needs attention, mate you write to the post. I find this as off sense and irresponsible.
Mi poret lon ritim dispela kain letter ya!
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I'm sorry to say this but those that say "Amen" to this issue has all been fail literally and spiritually. Because those that said so didn't justify anything wrong with this man "the man of dignity". Yes, he might recently became a puppet in terminating a reliable prosecutor, does that mean he actually deserve a prayer to be killed in politics? 2012 is just around the corner when you can make some good judgement.
I'm a highlander did vote at times, but I have seen every MP is the same. People just vote them into Parliament to make quick money for themselves.
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Amet gave up the Madang people to become Somare's private lawyer
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March 13 2011, 10:16 AM
I couldn't agree with you more. Amet is a joke. He was governor of Madang and in prime position to help alleviate the poverty of the people of Madang but gave that privilege away to become part of Michael Somare' defense team and it is in that role that he has achieved more. In a short space of time he has sacked public prosecutor Tamate and waged public campaign why the PM shouldn't step down despite the leadership tribunal being formed.
The people of Madang must remember. Amet thinks you voted him in to defend Somare. You think you voted him in to lead the province to better times.
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