Articles | Lowy Institute

31 Oct 2022
Australia

Bougainville

Papua New Guinea
Overcoming suspicion: reconciliation for Australia and Bougainville

Anthony Regan

The angry reaction to Richard Marles’ comments should be a warning to Canberra about the need to settle past grievances.
26 Oct 2022
Papua New Guinea
PNG: Climate action, social change and a minister for coffee

Catherine Highet , Serah Sipani , Trudi Egi

A unique Arabica crop has the potential to improve women’s financial inclusion and climate change all at once.
12 Oct 2022
Papua New Guinea
World Mental Health Day: reflections from Papua New Guinea

Kylie McKenna , Peter Nasale

Misunderstandings about the challenges involved are resulting in stigma, unemployment and isolation.
11 Oct 2022
Aid & Development

Australia and the Pacific

Australian Development Assistance

Pacific Islands

Papua New Guinea

United States
The Global Fragility Act in PNG: can the US succeed?

Jessica Collins

A seemingly radical approach that relies on prevention and relinquishing control may be a foreign policy game-changer.
29 Sep 2022
Human rights

Papua New Guinea
Ending capital punishment for good in Papua New Guinea

Moses Sakai

In PNG’s history, the death penalty has now been abolished twice. The country can take a step to see it never returns.
7 Sep 2022
Papua New Guinea
The missing foreign policy debate in PNG’s 2022 elections

Patrick Kaiku , Trisha Yangawi , Bernard Yegiora

Limited knowledge and paucity of interest is a concern, not just for local accountability but also for other countries.
4 Aug 2022
Australia

Papua New Guinea
PNG’s troubled election should be a wake-up call for Australia

Mihai Sora

Shocking violence has captured headlines. A higher benchmark is needed in support of a free and credible ballot.
27 Jul 2022
Papua New Guinea
PNG’s election a violent event

Maholopa Laveil

Bitter experience should have been a warning that elections need to be properly planned and administered.
27 Jun 2022
Australia and the Pacific

Melanesia

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands

Vanuatu
Pacific labour mobility and the existential threat of climate change

Peter Hooton

Australia needs to walk the walk on emissions, migration targets and resettlements to make itself a good neighbour.
27 Jun 2022
Fiji

Papua New Guinea
This year’s Pacific elections marginalise and isolate too many

Mere Nailatikau

As 2022 national polls unfold, it is evident that a global decline in democracy is disadvantaging the most vulnerable.
7 Jun 2022
Papua New Guinea

Technology
PNG’s elections: dangers that lie on social media

Caitlyn McKenzie , Ben Connable

Facebook has a major reach in PNG, making the sheer volume of suspicious and inauthentic content online a big concern.
25 May 2022
Papua New Guinea
PNG’s new health plan: “Leaving no one behind is everybody’s business”

Kylie McKenna , Di Brown , Michele Rumsey

A homegrown effort to empower healthy communities will still benefit from sustained international engagement.
23 May 2022
Australia

China

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands
PNG and the Solomon Islands-China security agreement

Patrick Kaiku

While respecting Solomon Islands sovereignty, regional solutions to regional problems are not yet fully exhausted.
10 May 2022
Papua New Guinea

Sex and Gender
Where are the women? The challenge facing the next PNG parliament

Teddy Winn

A country ranking among the world’s lowest for political participation by women has enormous social bias to overcome.
19 Apr 2022
Papua New Guinea
With elections looming, PNG rushed to create seven new districts

Michael Kabuni

While the opposition worries about gerrymandering, the flaws in the decision are more about the population count.
28 Mar 2022
Papua New Guinea
PNG’s 2022 election takes shape

Maholopa Laveil

Parochial issues tend to dominate voter choices. But a pandemic and economy stress could make for restless elections.
23 Mar 2022
Pacific Islands

Papua New Guinea

Russia

Ukraine
Pacific nations send a message on Ukraine – and great power rivalries

Patrick Kaiku

Pacific states are watching Ukraine because their sovereignty and territorial integrity can also easily be violated.
27 Jan 2022
Australia's Economy

IMF

Papua New Guinea
Bitcoin vs the IMF, and other great expectations

Greg Earl

A roundup of recent economic events foreshadows a year of flux and reinvention, from Europe to the Pacific.
12 Jan 2022
Papua New Guinea

Human rights
The power of mercy and the death penalty in PNG

Moses Sakai

The country’s capital punishment laws need a reset, but there are better alternatives than clemency.
22 Dec 2021
Papua New Guinea
Showcasing PNG, beyond expos and summits

Patrick Kaiku , Russel Kitau

A lack of strategic diplomacy and targeted foreign policy are selling the country’s immense potential short.
9 Dec 2021
Papua New Guinea
The dual roles of PNG politicians, and why they fail at both

Michael Kabuni

By focusing on service delivery closer to home, MPs are neglecting their mandated role as national lawmakers.
19 Nov 2021
Papua New Guinea

Bougainville
Bougainville independence: recalling promises of international help

Kylie McKenna , Emelda Ariku

The pandemic has blown the referendum result off front pages – but that doesn’t make the challenge any easier.
3 Nov 2021
Papua New Guinea

Coronavirus
Politics and Covid-19 funds in Papua New Guinea

Michael Kabuni

Putting the money in the hands of MPs could mean it will never be known just how the funds were used.
26 Oct 2021
Coronavirus

Papua New Guinea
Overcoming community resistance to vaccination in Papua New Guinea

Mihai Sora

Increasing public demand for vaccines is the key to improving the country’s economic prospects and public safety.
18 Oct 2021
Papua New Guinea
Supreme Court and parliamentary politics in PNG

Michael Kabuni

A recent ruling on a vote of no confidence challenge may see the next government complete a term in parliament.
7 Oct 2021
Papua New Guinea
Maseratis in PNG: stuck in reverse

Leanne Jorari

It’s hard not to feel flabbergasted by what was a breakdown in decision-making.
7 Oct 2021
Melanesia

Australian Development Assistance

Australia and the Pacific

Fiji

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands

Vanuatu
Pacific Step-Up needs a Covid-era reboot

Edward Cavanough

Australia must bolster its vaccine assistance with practical fixes, starting with energy and cold-storage solutions.
5 Oct 2021
Papua New Guinea
An aid to innovation in PNG’s informal economy

Elizabeth Kopel

Foreign donors can support the emergence of sustainable enterprises and unlock a growth windfall for the nation.
15 Sep 2021
Papua New Guinea
The future is female in PNG

Leanne Jorari

In 46 years of independence, only seven women have been elected to Papua New Guinea’s parliament. Can the tide turn?
20 Aug 2021
Papua New Guinea

Coronavirus
As Delta looms, PNG’s vaccine rollout challenges mount

Ishani Kaluthotage

Getting the jab where it is needed is only part of the problem. Making sure people understand the urgency is another.
3 Aug 2021
Public Diplomacy And International Broadcasting

Papua New Guinea
Keeping PNG connected by investing in radio

Shane McLeod

Australia could quickly make a critical – and relatively cheap – neighbourly investment in democracy.
2 Aug 2021
Papua New Guinea

Sex and Gender
How many times? Reckoning with gender-based violence in PNG

Leanne Jorari

Urgent action is needed to end PNG’s poor record as the most dangerous country in the region for women and girls.
18 Jun 2021
Bougainville

Papua New Guinea
Bougainville independence: Pressure for PNG agreement builds

Anthony Regan

Setting goals for independence by 2025, UN membership and a sustainable economy signal Bougainville’s resolve.
11 Jun 2021
Papua New Guinea
PNG: What to expect in the 2022 elections?

Maholopa Laveil

A by-election this month reveals stubborn challenges the country faces ahead of the national ballot next year.
8 Jun 2021
Pacific Islands

Institutions

Papua New Guinea
Samoa’s constitutional crisis and the dangers that have gone before

Anthony Regan

Leadership turmoil in Samoa bears striking similarities to a stand-off in Papua New Guinea barely a decade earlier.
25 May 2021
Diplomacy

Indonesia

Human rights

Papua New Guinea
PNG can’t turn a blind eye to the conflict next door

Leanne Jorari

As popular support for West Papua grows more vocal, PNG officials walk a diplomatic tightrope.
28 Apr 2021
Papua New Guinea

Bougainville

Review
Power politics lies behind how new countries are born – or not

Gordon Peake

History shows a resounding referendum – like recently in Bougainville – is not alone in deciding future independence.
20 Apr 2021
Australia and the Pacific

Papua New Guinea
Accountability is the path to better governance in PNG

Justice Gua

A more inclusive environment and more responsive public-service initiatives will lessen the citizen-state divide.
1 Apr 2021
Diplomacy

Papua New Guinea

Coronavirus
Why not try? What a Papua New Guinean team could bring to the NRL

Leanne Jorari

Covid-19 has sapped PNG of excitement. But in the years to come, people’s love of footy offers a common rally point.
11 Mar 2021
Papua New Guinea

Human rights

International law
When will PNG establish a National Human Rights Commission?

Moses Sakai

Papua New Guinea has launched a commission to fight corruption. Now it needs to do the same to protect human rights.
5 Mar 2021
Papua New Guinea

Coronavirus
Vaccine hesitancy and the risks in rural Papua New Guinea

Mikaela Seymour

Another vaccine drive could cause resentment among those who feel they don’t need it because “they are not sick”.
1 Mar 2021
Papua New Guinea
Farewell, Grand Chief

Ian Kemish

A unifier, Michael Somare always had Papua New Guinea’s independence in mind in dealing with Australia, or any nation.
9 Feb 2021
Papua New Guinea
PNG: Mistaking massacres for tradition

Leanne Jorari

Tribal violence has spiralled into outright warfare, beyond the ability of law enforcement to deal with it.
16 Dec 2020
Papua New Guinea
Frenemies forever? PNG’s prime minister sees off a challenge

Jonathan Pryke , Shane McLeod

It’ll be a merrier Christmas for James Marape, but a politically fractious new year looms.
11 Dec 2020
Papua New Guinea

Human rights
PNG and the politics of the death penalty

Moses Sakai

Why have a costly public consultation when it’s already abundantly clear capital punishment has little support?
2 Dec 2020
Papua New Guinea

Bougainville
A false start for PNG-Bougainville consultations

Gordon Peake

The post-referendum process stalled after a delegation arrived in Port Moresby, only to have the meeting cancelled.
24 Nov 2020
Australia and the Pacific

Papua New Guinea
PNG budget: Pluses and minuses

Maholopa Laveil , Dek Joe Sum

A spending surge aims to steer the economy out of crisis, but high debt and heavy interest pose another risk.
16 Nov 2020
Papua New Guinea
Reality bites: Budget, personalities and politics put Marape on notice

Shane McLeod

PNG’s prime minister must face down a no-confidence motion everyone knew was coming yet still caused a surprise.
6 Oct 2020
Papua New Guinea
PNG electrification: Spend on solar to help meet targets

Shane McLeod

Big power projects need to be pursued, but money for household solar would help PNG meet its 2030 goal more quickly.
24 Sep 2020
Bougainville

Papua New Guinea
Bougainville: A new captain at the helm

Leanne Jorari

Ex-combatant Ishmael Toroama hopes to reward people’s patience and finally steer the island to independence.