PNG, Australia reaffirms commitment to strengthen law and justice sector
Australia-Papua New Guinea Law and Justice Strategic Program Governance Meeting Co-Chairs, Australia High Commission’s Tessa Plueckhahn (left), and Stanley Raka (right), Deputy Secretary of the Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG), welcome attendees and deliver opening remarks. (Image: Supplied).
Senior law and justice leaders from Papua New Guinea have reaffirmed their commitment to work together to improve community safety, strengthen access to justice and deliver better services for citizens.
The commitment was made during the recent Australia–Papua New Guinea Law and Justice Partnership [APLJ] Strategic Program Governance Meeting, where leaders reviewed progress made under the partnership over the past year.
The meeting heard that the APLJ program has supported 227 activities across national agencies, provincial governments and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, directly benefiting more than 9,500 people in the last 12 months.
Deputy Secretary for the Department of Justice and Attorney General and Co-Chair of the meeting, Stanley Raka, said the discussions reinforced the sector's commitment to delivering priorities agreed through the National Coordinating Mechanism.
"The progress we have seen over the past year demonstrates the strength of the partnership in the law and justice sector. As we move into the next phase of implementation, it is important that we continue to focus on initiatives that deliver lasting improvements for our institutions and for the communities we serve," Mr Raka said.
A major outcome of the meeting was the decision to strengthen sector performance, accountability and evidence-based decision-making through a shared research and reporting agenda.
For the first time since 2014, the law and justice sector is restoring its annual performance reporting, with agencies now providing baseline data for a new Annual Performance Report that will combine information from 16 law and justice agencies.
Director of the Law and Justice Sector Secretariat, Joe Saferius, said collaboration among agencies remained essential to achieving meaningful and lasting results.
"No individual agency can deliver this on its own. These meetings help ensure that our activities are aligned and focused on achieving our shared objectives, outcomes and vision," Mr Saferius said.
The meeting also endorsed the Australia–PNG Law and Justice Partnership's activity plan for the coming year, with more than K50 million committed to support infrastructure, technical assistance, strategy development and implementation.
The Australia–PNG Law and Justice Partnership is a PNG-led initiative that delivers programs identified through the National Coordinating Mechanism, with support from Australia to strengthen coordination and improve law and justice outcomes across the country.