GOVERNOR PARKOP CALLS FOR BOLD FINANCING PARTNERSHIPS TO BUILD RESILIENT CITIES
Port Moresby’s Governor, Hon. Powes Parkop, today joined city leaders from across the region at the ASEAN Governors and Mayors Forum 2025, speaking on the urgent need to mobilise smarter, fairer, and more inclusive financing to transform cities for a sustainable future.
The Governor took part in the 1st City Dialogue: Financing for Sustainable Development, alongside Mr. Yusuke Nakano, Mayor of Hamamatsu City in Japan, and Mr. Ameer Sobhan from Cities Alliance – Asia Hub. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Marcelino Pandin, Special Advisor to UCLG ASPAC.
Speaking in Papua New Guinea’s 50th year of independence, Governor Parkop framed this milestone as a time to both reflect on the past and set a bold vision for the next fifty years.
“We must act with urgency and ambition,” Governor Parkop told delegates. “Our people deserve cities where opportunity is within reach for all, where the environment is protected, and where resilience is built into the very foundations of our development. This is not just an economic challenge – it is a moral responsibility.”
In his address, Governor Parkop stressed three critical priorities:
1. Financing Local Economic Growth – He shared finance models that unite public resources, private investment, and development partner funding. He emphasised the informal economy’s role in sustaining livelihoods in Port Moresby and the Pacific, and called for expanding microfinance and cooperative banking to empower small entrepreneurs.
2. Unlocking Climate Finance – Gov Parkop shared the real and present impacts of climate change in PNG and in the Pacific, he urged for simpler, faster access to global climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Pacific Resilience Facility. He cited Port Moresby’s initiatives – from solar street lighting to coastal coral and mangrove protection – as proof that climate-ready projects are achievable.
3. Strengthening Regional Solidarity – Governor Parkop proposed a Pacific–ASEAN Urban Finance Partnership Platform to share expertise, pool resources, and co-invest in sustainable infrastructure. He also called for technical assistance and networks to fast-track sustainable housing and urban planning solutions.
He concluded with a challenge to all present:
“We will be judged, not by what we say in forums like this, but by what we make possible in our cities. Let us leave behind a legacy of resilience, opportunity, and dignity for all our people.”
The ASEAN Governors and Mayors Forum 2025 brings together leaders to forge partnerships and develop solutions that make urban development both sustainable and inclusive across Asia and the Pacific.