Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Hon Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Hon John Rosso MP, Deputy Prime Minster and Minster for Lands, Physical Planning, Urbanisation and Immigration and Hon Justin Tkatchenko, CBE, BEM, ISOP MP, Minister for Foreign Minister hold a press conference at APEC Haus, Port Moresby, Wednesday 19 June 2024, as part of the PNG Ministerial Forum. Photo: DFAT / Sarah Hodges
A raft of new initiatives to strengthen Papua New Guinea's security, law and justice priorities have been revealed.
Ministers from Australia met with officials from Papua New Guinea on Wednesday for the 30th Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum.
Australia sent over the most senior delegation in the forum's history.
The meeting was co-chaired by the two nations foreign ministers Justin Tkatchenko Penny Wong.
During the meeting, several new initiatives were announced, that will be delivered under Australia and Papua New Guinea's Bilateral Security Agreement.
They include:
- Support for PNG's legal system to help PNG investigate and prosecute financial crime;
- Investment in programs to improve access to justice for young people and remote and regional communities;
- Support to make PNG's correctional facilities safer and more secure.
In a joint press release from Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, it said additional support for stability in the PNG Highlands was also promised.
It includes a new program to help improve weapons management and a partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Further assistance will also be provided to PNG in 'non-traditional' security areas, such as cyber, biosecurity, and to address gender-based violence.
These initiatives will be funded from the $200 million committed by Australia to support PNG's internal security priorities through our landmark Bilateral Security Agreement, announced in December 2023.
PNG Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon. Justin Tkatchenko speaking at PNG Ministerial Forum. Photo: DFAT / Sarah Hodges
Extra A$2m towards PNG landslide
Australian ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, have visited the landslide site in Papua New Guinea in the Enga Province.
Hundreds are thought to have been buried in their sleep when it hit Yambali Village in the early hours of 24 May.
Australian officials made a visit to the site to pay their condolences during their visit to Papua New Guinea, while there for the forum.
While at the site, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong announced an additional A$2m towards the Mulitaka landslide disaster and emergency relief management programme.
This is on top of an additional A$2.5m that was announced in the days after the disaster.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has shared his condolences.
"We are deeply sorry and pass our condolences to our colleagues in PNG government and the affected people of Enga Province.
"We remember vividly during the 2019- 2020 Black Summer bushfires in Australia, which was a difficult moment for our country.
"PNG was there in terms of providing us with assistance and support in our hour of need, and we're very mindful of that right now," Marles said.
Governor Sir Peter Ipatas thanked the ministerial delegation and High Commissioner John Feakes for their generosity.
-Find the 30th PNG-Australia Ministerial Forum Joint Communiqué here.