Tagged: Papua New Guinea

the government of Papua New Guinea is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. It has a unicameral Parliament consisting of 109 members who are elected by universal suffrage through the Limited Preferential Voting System. The Prime Minister, who is the head of government, is selected from among the members of Parliament and must command the confidence of a majority in Parliament. The current Prime Minister is James Marape, who took office in May 2019. The executive branch consists of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, which are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister from among members of Parliament. The Cabinet is responsible for providing policy guidance to departments and agencies in order to ensure that their activities are consistent with government objectives. The judiciary is independent from both the executive and legislative branches and consists of a Supreme Court, National Court, Courts Martial, Magistrate Courts, Land Courts, Juvenile Courts and Local Courts. All judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission on recommendation from the Chief Justice. Papua New Guinea’s legal system is based on English common law as well as customary law which applies to indigenous communities in certain areas such as land rights and traditional marriage laws. The country also has an independent Human Rights Commission which was established in 1992 to investigate allegations of human rights violations as well as promote respect for human rights throughout Papua New Guinea. In terms of local government, Papua New Guinea has 22 provinces each with its own provincial assembly headed by a governor appointed by the National Executive Council (NEC). These assemblies have limited powers but are responsible for local issues such as infrastructure development, health services delivery and education among others. Papua New Guinea also has an independent Electoral Commission which was established in 1995 to conduct all national elections including those for parliamentarians as well as provincial governorships every five years or so depending on when elections need to be held due to changes in political circumstances or other reasons such as no confidence votes against sitting governments or leadership changes within political parties etcetera. In addition to this there are also numerous non-governmental organizations operating throughout Papua New Guinea dedicated to promoting development initiatives such as improving access to healthcare services; providing access to clean water; protecting indigenous land rights; promoting gender equality; advocating for better working conditions etcetera. These organizations work closely with both government departments (such as Health or Education) as well as local communities in order to ensure that their initiatives have maximum impact at both national level but also at grassroots level where much needed change often needs to be initiated first before it can spread outwards into wider society at large. Papua New Guinea has a diverse and vibrant foreign policy agenda. The country is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Commonwealth, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Melanesian Spearhead Group. It is also actively engaged in regional initiatives such as the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) and the Biketawa Declaration. Papua New Guinea’s foreign relations are primarily focused on its immediate neighborhood, but it also has diplomatic ties with countries around the world. The country values strong relationships with its Pacific Island neighbors, particularly Australia and New Zealand. Papua New Guinea maintains a close relationship with both countries and works together to promote regional security, trade and economic development. Papua New Guinea also maintains strong relationships with China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other Asian nations. These relationships are based on mutual benefit through trade agreements, investment opportunities and technical assistance from these countries in areas such as infrastructure development and health care. Papua New Guinea is an active member of several international organizations including the UN, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), World Trade Organization (WTO), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is also a signatory to several multilateral treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora (CITES). In addition to its international engagement, Papua New Guinea has sought to strengthen its bilateral relations with other countries in order to promote economic growth. The country has signed numerous investment promotion agreements with various nations including China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan in order to attract foreign direct investment into Papua New Guinea’s economy. In conclusion, Papua New Guinea’s foreign policy agenda is focused on promoting peace & stability in the region while pursuing mutually beneficial economic partnerships with other nations around the world. The country’s commitment to regional cooperation through initiatives like SICA demonstrate its dedication to strengthening diplomatic ties throughout Central America as well as beyond its borders.