Law and Justice partnership engages hundreds at Bougainville Chocolate Festival

Hundreds of festival goers were enlightened of the local law and the justice sector at the Bougainville Chocolate Festival in Buka yesterday.

Cocoa and justice shared the spotlight as the Australia–Papua New Guinea Law and Justice [APLJ] Partnership joined the 2025 Bougainville Chocolate Festival in Buka, engaging hundreds through an interactive stall that celebrated community-driven justice reform.

The festival provided a vibrant platform to showcase how Australia and Papua New Guinea are working together to support reforms in laws to ensure safer communities.

Visitors to the stall explored initiatives supporting improved access to justice, strengthened legal institutions, and practical responses to gender based violence, many of which directly benefit cocoa-farming families and rural communities.

Throughout the three-day event, representatives from APLJ, local law and justice sector agencies, and community-based programs engaged with attendees, sharing printed resources, answering questions, and highlighting reforms such as mobile court outreach, community policing, legal aid services and survivor-focused GBV support.

The stall drew strong interest from youth groups, students, women’s associations, and local leaders, many of whom expressed appreciation for the accessible information and opportunity to connect directly with justice sector representatives.

Participation in the festival reflects the shared commitment by Papua New Guinea and Australia to advancing law and justice reform and expanding access to services across Papua New Guinea, including in Bougainville.

Australia, through APLJ, works alongside Bougainville’s law and justice agencies, civil society, and community leaders to promote accountability, access to justice, and safer communities.

Its engagement at the Chocolate Festival reaffirmed the power of partnership and public dialogue in building a fairer future.