JOINT MEDIA RELEASE WITH HON DOUGLAS TOMURIESA MP, PNG MINISTER FOR FORESTS
The Australian-initiated draft Asia-Pacific Rainforest Recovery Plan was central to the discussions held between Australia and Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby this week.
The Australian Environment Minister the Hon. Greg Hunt MP and Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Forests the Hon. Douglas Tomuriesa MP met to discuss the way forward for implementing the Plan in Papua New Guinea.
When finalised, the Plan will outline how countries in the region can protect tropical rainforests and identify clear actions and assistance needed to reduce deforestation of rainforests in the Asia-Pacific Region.
“Rainforests throughout the Asia-Pacific Region are vital to the region’s economic development, no more so than in Papua New Guinea. Rainforests provide food and income for people throughout the region,” Mr Hunt said.
“Australia is committed to working collaboratively with its regional partners to develop and support practical actions to reduce rainforest loss while recognising the development aspirations of the region’s nations.”
“For the protection of our high conservation and biodiversity value rainforests Papua New Guinea is developing a REDD Roadmap to establish large scale “REDD Reserves” in Papua New Guinea and we are encouraged by Australia’s support for this initiative, particularly in the lead up to COP Meeting in Paris later this year,” Mr Tomuriesa said
“It is important that our forests are part of a post 2020 global agreement on Climate Change. We are pleased to have Australia’s support on this and look forward to working together to realising some of our shared objectives proposed in the Asia-Pacific Rainforest Recovery Plan.”
Both Ministers said they would continue to work together on implementing the Plan and in particular the priorities and actions for Papua New Guinea.
The progress of the draft Asia-Pacific Rainforest Recovery Plan will be discussed at the next Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit in 2016.
For more information go to: http://www.environment.gov.au/rain-forest-summit
(ENDS)