PORT VILA, VANUATU (3 June 2022): International trade offers pathways to enhancing people’s livelihoods through activities that seek to boost the exports of green products. If the MSG Green Trade Project is well implemented, achievement of the Green Growth goals can transform Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) economies in many ways, including through employment creation, income generating activities and anchoring the sustainable development of the MSG region.
These were the sentiments expressed by the Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Leonard Louma, during Papua New Guinea’s first National Workshop on the MSG Green Trade Project at the Lamana Hotel in Port Moresby on Tuesday, 31 May 2022.
While thanking the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) for the financial support towards the MSG Green Trade Project, DG Louma paid special acknowledgement to a son of PNG, the late Mr. Bonapas Onguglo, who worked for UNCTAD in Geneva for many years as an economist, for his contribution towards the conception of this MSG Green Trade Project. He noted that initial discussions held then with Mr. Onguglo revealed his keen interest to channel potential projects to the Pacific which led to the MSG Green Trade Project.
“So, I guess, we in PNG owe it to him, and our farmers - whose livelihood he envisaged to improve, to make sure that this project we are undertaking succeeds,” he stressed.
DG Louma said the MSG Secretariat has developed a strategic partnership with UNCTAD resulting in the implementation of the MSG Green Trade Project. This is with a view to have MSG countries adapt to the challenges of sustainable green trade. The Project is aimed at building Members’ capacities to capitalize on strengthening development of green products in order to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth through quality based green exports that meet international standards.
Green trade for the MSG region includes products originating from agriculture, fisheries, forestry and eco-tourism-based industries.
DG Louma emphasised the importance of ensuring closer coordination of project activities within PNG in other sectoral and national projects, adding that lessons learnt at the national level will guide the formulation of a broader MSG action plan, to integrate green trade promotion into sustainable development policy coordination at the MSG level.
The workshop was sponsored by UNCTAD and co-organised with the MSG Secretariat in conjunction with the PNG Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade and the National Trade Office. Remarks were also delivered by PNG’s Chief Trade Officer, Mr. Richard Yarkam and the UNCTAD Officer-in-Charge of the Trade Analysis Branch, Mr. Ralf Peters.
Caption: DG Louma (top left) delivering his address at the first National Workshop on the MSG Green Trade Project at the Lamana Hotel in Port Moresby, PNG earlier this week.
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