Peter O'Neill

Pacific Leaders engaged in meaningful roundtable discussion with the development partners Friday where they were briefed on decisions made on climate change, the 10 year fisheries roadmap, information and communication technology (ICT), cervical cancer and West Papua.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill of Papua New Guinea told journalists after the meeting that the donors and partners were very engaging in the dialogue.

The host, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, told The Australian the Port Moresby summit “will showcase PNG’s energy and diversity, and we shall take leadership roles in some issues we are passionate about”.

These would include “climate change — and how the Pacific should position itself in that ­debate” in the run-up to the Paris World Climate Summit, “and about economic integration of the Pacific as a means of supporting the development of the region and mobilising skills”.

The projected budget deficit in Papua New Guinea's has been revised up, hitting 9.4 per cent, which is more than double last year's deficit and getting close to the 12.3 per cent figure which helped tip Greece into meltdown last year.

The budget implosion will come as a shock to leaders in PNG and also Australia, who have consistently played down the impact of corruption and sliding commodity prices.

A PNG detention centre guard was allegedly murdered after being bashed and drowned at the weekend and another PNG worker lost his hand in a separate machete attack.

There's also claims three Australian expat workers allegedly drugged and gang raped a local woman earlier in July.

Local authorities are angry the trio have been flown back to Australia before an investigation, and a peak Australian lawyers body fears there's been a cover up.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said the incidents were not a reflection of the island's safety.

However, he said what the MSG leaders will be focusing on is to try and find the right organisation that is going to represent them at MSG.

He said in order for that to happen, West Papua leaders must be elected, mandated and properly appointed to participate in the MSG.

“We cannot expect anybody coming up from the streets and telling us that we represent these groups of people,” he said  

However, O’Neill emphasised that “we have to do it properly and that is in an orderly manner that we want to allow our brothers and sisters in West Papua to participate.