Papua New Guinea has backed the United Nations' efforts to reduce the trafficking of small arms and light weapons in the Pacific.
The Post Courier reports that while speaking at the UN General Assembly, foreign Affairs Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu said the 10-year Bougainville crisis was fuelled by the entry of a large quantity of small arms and light weapons.
He praised the UN for contributing to peace on Bougainville through the deployment of the United Nations Observer Mission to Bougainville.
He says it set the foundation for peace and subsequently the election of the first autonomous Bougainville government.
Sir Rabbie urged delegates to implement an expansion program to ensure developing countries have a fair representation on the council.
He also said the UN Millennium Development Goals - which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education by 2015 - are incorporated into PNG's medium term development strategy.
