Stability and security are foundational elements of effective, accountable states. Australia continues to support PNG's security, policing and law and justice sectors, with longstanding partnerships between our defence and police forces, government agencies, and through our development program. To promote improved law, order and governance in PNG, Australia will focus investments on:

• Peace and stability: Supporting PNG to maintain security, stability and advance the rule of law and strengthen policing.
• Accountability: Supporting PNG government institutions to be more accountable to their citizens and uphold human rights.
• Institutional effectiveness: Supporting national, sub-national and community institutions to be more effective, responsive, and transparent.

In 2023, Australia committed $200 million (ODA and non-ODA) over four years as part of our Bilateral Security Agreement to support PNG's internal security priorities. These include building PNG's policing, and law and justice capabilities, as well as investing in nontraditional security sectors. Our combined investments in law, justice and policing will increase from $60 million per year (ODA) to $110 million per year (ODA and non-ODA) by 2026—27.

Across our development program, we are supporting functional, affordable, and accountable institutions that are key to effective economic management, human security and service delivery. This includes:

• Working together to combat crime and corruption, and to prevent and respond to Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Sorcery-Accusationo Related Violence (SARV) through the PNG-Australia Policing Partnership (PNG-APP) between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC).
• Supporting Papua New Guinea Correctional Services (PNGCS) to improve staff capacity, policies, and processes focused on de-escalation, use of force, weapons management and record keeping.
• Supporting PNG to provide inclusive law and justice services to its citizens through the Australia-PNG Law and Justice Partnership (APLJ).
• Australia's Attorney-General's Department working with PNG's Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG) to progress legal policy development and law reform.
• Australia's Department of Home Affairs working with DJAG to address recommendations from the Mutual Evaluation Report (MER).
• Supporting PNG to reduce deadly violence by using systems and services to improve arms and ammunition control, justice for and prevention of deadly violence.
• Increasing support for PNG to effectively address multi-factor drivers of conflict and instability in the Upper Highlands, through the UN Highlands Joint Programme (HJP).
• Supporting PNG to strengthen financial systems against money laundering and corrupt activity and exploring opportunities to bolster integrity institutions including the newly established PNG Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
• Supporting PNG's Financial Analysis Supervision Unit (FASU) to develop an artificial-intelligence-enabled digital platform that increases the flow of actionable intelligence to inform PNG's Mutual Evaluation (ME) response and disrupt money-laundering flows.
• Increasing support to PNG FASU's response to the Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) recommendations through the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
• Partnering with UNICEF to support access to justice for children by contributing to an enabling environment through advocacy, system strengthening, capacity building, service provision, and enabling expanded birth registrations.Supporting efforts to build stronger state–citizen relationships, strengthen demand for better service delivery and support advocacy for women's human rights, through PNG Women Lead and Building Community Engagement in PNG.
• Supporting election reform, and providing long-term support for election administration, planning and delivery.

Related links

• Australia-PNG Development Partnership Plan 2024-2029
• Australia-Papua New Guinea Bilateral Security Agreement

Australia PNG Law and Justice Partnership (APLJ)

The Australia-Papua New Guinea Law and Justice Partnership (APLJ, $100m from 2023-27) builds on a decade of Australian support to PNG's law and justice sector. The program supports PNG's law and justice sector to provide effective, inclusive, and accountable justice services. Under the Bilateral Security Agreement, Australia has boosted investment in this partnership by 25 per cent for the next four years to better respond to PNG's internal security needs and provide full-circle law and justice support.

At the national level, APLJ supports legislative reform, sector leadership and coordination; while helping  strengthen critical services such as: crime prevention; prosecutions; policing and correctional services.

The program also operates at the subnational level across seven  locations in PNG (Western Province, East New Britain, Morobe, Madang, Bougainville, Hela and Southern Highlands) with a focus on supporting community-level justice mechanisms, including village courts and civil society. The program also seeks  to address local safety and security concerns such as gender-based violence ,  and sorcery accusation related violence (SARV).

PNG Australia Policing Partnership (PNG-APP)

T The AFP and Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) have a deep and trusted police-to-police partnership that reflects Papua New Guinea's (PNG's) and Australia’s status as close neighbours with shared values and mutual security interests.

The Papua New Guinea – Australia Policing Partnership (PNG-APP) program supports the RPNGC to deliver effective policing services that support PNG and Pacific communities. Through targeted advisors and capability uplift, the program improves investigation processes that target serious and organised crime. It also assists the RPNGC with training and operational support to meet the evolving and complex global criminal environment.

Under the Bilateral Security Agreement, the PNG-APP is further enhancing cooperation on policing infrastructure, capability, leadership, and training. The AFP will also support PNG to establish a police recruit and investigations training centre that will enable PNG to build a larger, more capable police force.

Supporting Elections in PNG

Credible and inclusive elections are critical to a safe, stable PNG. We are working with partners to support election reform efforts and provide long-term support for election administration, planning and delivery.

Our considerable experience in election support and supporting gender equality, through PNG Women Lead, prepares us well to focus on the prevention of violence during election cycles.Through the Australian Electoral Commission and other partners, we are working with the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) to strengthen electoral systems in PNG and improve the integrity of elections, sharing our electoral expertise in a range of areas and delivering electoral training programs for Papua New Guinean officials.

Related documents

PNG Women Lead (PNGWL)

PNG Women Lead supports gender equality and efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women in PNG. PNG Women Lead works with the Government of PNG’s Office for the Development of Women and National GBV Secretariat, and with PNG led civil society partners, to address systemic and societal barriers and maximise opportunities for in women in political leadership, and to support prevention and response to violence against women and women’s economic empowerment.

Building Community Engagement in PNG

The Building Community Engagement in PNG Program (BCEP) works with civil society organisations, churches, media and government partners to strengthen state–citizen relationships for improved service delivery and provision of public goods. BCEP has a particular emphasis on promoting gender equality and inclusive social norms.

The BCEP consists of five components:

• Coalitions for Change
• The Media Development Initiative
• The Church Partnerships Program
• Social Accountability
• PNG Government Partnerships

Related documents

Support to the Protection of Civilians and Respect for the Rule of Law

With Australian support, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been providing humanitarian assistance in PNG for over 15 years. The ICRC's work focuses on raising awareness of international humanitarian law and providing prevention and protection support for conflict-affected and displaced communities in PNG. The ICRC’s current work is in Bougainville, mainly focusing on supporting families of people who went missing during the civil war (Bougainville Crisis), promoting humanitarian law, improving detention conditions, and aiding communities affected by tribal violence, often with the Papua New Guinea Red Cross.

Key activities include helping families find closure through remembrance ceremonies and memorials, advising the government on missing persons policies, and training police on human rights.