Papua New Guinea celebrates its achievements in sustainable development during Expo 2020 Dubai National Day

Papua New Guinea celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai on Monday with a focus on global cooperation to achieve its sustainable development goals and positively impact the global climate change agenda.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Coexistence Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, welcomed Samuel Basil, MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport for the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

Sheikh Nahyan said: “Papua New Guinea’s participation highlights its economic potential, the rich culture and the diversity of its tribes, as well as its achievements in the field of sustainable development.

“Given that Papua New Guinea has been a regional champion in promoting environmental preservation and tackling climate change, the UAE looks forward to expanding on its collaborative efforts with Papua New Guinea in these fields and aims to further solidify our thriving relationship, as we explore new areas for future cooperation.”

Samuel Basil said: “Apart from the cultural richness, the island of New Guinea hosts the third-largest rainforest in the world and most of this, including the biodiversity, is in Papua New Guinea. The rainforest not only contributes to the healthy lungs of the world, but also to the global agenda on climate change. It needs to be protected and my country would need the international community, including like-minded, bilateral partners, to assist in conserving this great international asset through long-term partnership.

“The inclusive manner in which the Exposition is organised has given our two peoples and those of the participating countries the opportunity to engage in cultural, trade and investment conversations that have the potential to bring the world closer together. In fact, the Expo 2020 Dubai experience will go down in history as one of the innovative experiences of countries of the world living and working together in one village.”

The speeches were followed by an explosion of colour and sound in a cultural performance that featured dance, music and ‘bilas’ – the colourful, eye-catching body decoration worn during dancing that includes everything from jewellery and body paint, to feathers and headdresses.

The Papua New Guinea Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai shows off the importance of living in balance with the environment – crucial for a country with the largest biodiversity in the world, and the third-largest rainforest and carbon sink, after the Amazon and the Congo Basin. The country is also rich in agricultural land, pristine oceans, mineral and petroleum resources, and exportable goods such as coffee, chocolate, cocoa and vanilla. Visitors to the pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai might be surprised to learn that Papua New Guinea’s population of 8.5 million is made up of a thousand different tribes, and more than 850 languages are spoken across the country.

National and Honour Days at Expo 2020 Dubai are moments to celebrate each of Expo 2020 Dubai’s 200-plus International Participants, shining a light on their culture and achievements and showcasing their pavilions and programming.

Running until 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai invites visitors from across the planet to join the making of a new world in a six-month celebration of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture.

WAM