Documents have been signed in Papua New Guinea to set up the Bougainville Referendum Commission which will plan the vote on Bougainville's future due by 2020.
Arawa, Bougainville Photo: RNZI
The signing in Port Moresby yesterday sets in motion the creation of the independent institution which will work with the governments of PNG and the autonomous PNG region.
PNG's Commissioner of Elections Patilias Gamato and the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner George Manu were among the signatories.
A target referendum date has already been set for June the 15th 2019.
The United Nations representative in PNG Roy Trivedy congratulated the governments for achieving an historic milestone and stressed continued UN support for implementing the Bougainville Peace Agreement signed in 2001.