National Identity Cards

In January 2025, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape directed that all PNG citizens be registered with a PNG National Identity (NID) by 16 September 2025 to coincide with the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations. The PNG government initiated this project in November 2014 with the aim of registering and issuing national identification cards to all citizens of the country. Refer Dev Policy blog PNG and the Pacific email 14 Feb 2025.

Joint Australian and PNG Ministers of Defence Meeting

On 20 February, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles hosted PNG Minister for Defence, Dr Billy Joseph PhD, MP, for the 2025 Australia-Papua New Guinea Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brisbane.

Reflecting on Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) 50th year of independence, Ministers recalled the creation by PNG’s leaders of the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) in 1975 from the Pacific Islands Regiment and the Australian Army. The Ministers announced their shared commitment to negotiate a bilateral defence treaty that would build on the historic Australia-PNG Bilateral Security Agreement signed by Prime Ministers Marape and Albanese in 2023.

A longer article on this topic can be found at https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/statements/2025-02-20/joint-statement-australia-papua-new-guinea-defence-ministers-meeting

Talisman Sabre

Australia’s largest military exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 (TS25) involving 19 nations will be hosted in cooperation with Papua New Guinea in July this year amid moves to bind the nations’ military forces more closely. Most of the exercises, which include live fire and field training, will take place primarily in Queensland, but some elements will occur in PNG.

Facebook Test Ban

PNG Facebook users were hit with an unexpected shock as the PNG government carried out tests under the country’s new anti-terrorism act by shutting Facebook down for 24 hours from 25 March.

Peter Tsiamilili Jnr, Minister of Internal Security, who was also appointed as Minister for Police on 1 January 2024, cited an increase in misinformation and pornography as being behind the call.

PNG’s population, which is under 11 million, has an estimated 1.5 million Facebook users. Across all age groups, male users far outweigh female users. Port Moresby bore the brunt of the shutdown’s impact.

Vote of No-Confidence

Following a week of political uncertainty in Port Moresby, the PNG PM James Marape survived a vote of no-confidence (VoNC) on 15 April with 89 supporting votes to 16 against and three abstaining.

To avoid further instability, the government amended its constitution during the 13 March 2025 parliamentary sitting to prevent a VoNC for 18 months if the incumbent has successfully defeated one previously.

In March the PNG Parliament voted 81 to 4, in favour of the bill, which, as a constitutional amendment, requires a two-thirds absolute majority of over 79 members to pass. Called a ‘grace period’ Marape can now continue his term until 2027.

Canonisation of PNG’s First Saint

Pope Francis, who sadly died on 21 April 2025 (please see the back cover), on 1 April 2025, authorised the publication of a decree, paving the way for the canonisation of the late Peter To Rot, a second-generation Catholic, in East New Britain. Peter To Rot will be PNG’s first saint and also the first Melanesian to be canonised, which brings added excitement to Catholics in PNG and the Pacific.

Peter To Rot, a lay catechist born in 1912, was executed in 1945 by Japanese soldiers during World War II. He opposed the custom of polygamy and continued his pastoral activities despite the risks to his life. An interview by Radio Australia through the Pacific Beat can be heard on https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/png-saint/105120730

Peace Building at the Grass Roots

Voice for Change, a provincial women’s organisation based in Jiwaka Province, has been addressing the significant challenges faced by women since 1996. Recently VFC hosted a workshop for 60 frontline peace mediators.

Between January 2024 and February 2025, Peace Officials mediated 277 cases across the province, including 54 murders, 30 incidents of sexual violence (rapes), and 24 cases of sorcery-accusation-related violence. They cited a need for a national strategy to integrate local knowledge and foster community resilience.

You can read the article in full via the DevPolicy blog posts on PNG and the Pacific, ‘Building peace from the group up: a call for a peace strategy in PNG’.

China-PNG News

Chinese Ambassador to PNG, Yang Xiaoguang, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 11 April, announcing K16 million to fund a digital library at the Western Pacific University in Ialibu in the Southern Highlands. Ambassador Yang said that PNG is the first Pacific Island nation to sign a bilateral document on the Belt and Road Cooperation with China.

Bougainville News

A Joint Consultation Moderator Meeting between the Government of PNG and the Autonomous Bougainville Government was held in Port Moresby in the first half of April. This second meeting was part of a consultation process moderated by Lieutenant General The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, GNZM, QSO, KtStJ. These consultations provide a forum for the PNG Prime Minister Marape and ABG President Ishmael Toroama to present their respective visions for Bougainville’s political future. Key issues centre around four thematic pillars: Political, Institutional, Economic, and Parliamentary matters.

Yumi Stap Wantaim—Standing Together Side by Side, Walking Step by Step

This program was launched by the Australian High Commission in early March, as part of Australia’s contribution to celebrating PNG’s 50th anniversary of independence. The program will deliver a series of high-profile events throughout the year showcasing our cultural bonds, including in film, music, dance, art and food.