27 Nov 2023
Papua New Guinea: Learning the lessons of language
Preserving PNG’s linguistic kaleidoscope is as much a connection with the past as a path to the future.
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23 Nov 2023
Digital dominoes: Australia’s strategic play in the Pacific
Enhancing the region’s digital connectivity goes beyond influence. It’s about sharing prosperity and security, too. -
1 Nov 2023
Loans, not grants, already proving costly for PNG
The latest Pacific Aid Map shows the PNG debt burden is growing and risks loom on the horizon. -
29 Sep 2023
Japan risks its reputation in Oceania with Fukushima discharge
A rollcall of Pacific Island nations have very different views on the release of treated radioactive wastewater. -
22 Sep 2023
The US–Pacific Islands Partnership, one year on
Recognising that it cannot go it alone, Washington needs to coordinate its development efforts with like-minded partners. -
21 Aug 2023
Putting a PNG stamp on security
As world players jostle for influence, the price of admission may be stronger economic engagement. -
16 Aug 2023
The Fix: We still really don’t know PNG
Your weekly Interpreter feature about issues, resources or helpful distractions that might otherwise be missed. -
2 Aug 2023
Can PNG afford more debt?
Betting on the potential of future resource wealth has proved a risky strategy. History holds valuable economic lessons. -
5 Jul 2023
The downsides for Australia from the US‑PNG defence agreement
Sovereignty concerns about the American deal will create additional hurdles for Australia-PNG Defence Treaty currently under negotiation. -
29 Jun 2023
Bougainville – What’s next?
The 2019 referendum saw an overwhelming vote for independence, but the outcome is still unclear. -
8 Jun 2023
PNG’s trade ties with China are set to strengthen
Canberra has committed to bolstering agriculture assistance, but free trade agreements may leave Australia in second place. -
17 May 2023
Biden’s trip cancellations reveal pitfalls of a crowded diplomatic calendar
Bailing on Australia and PNG highlights the growing risk of disappointment when leaders are clambering to summits here, there, everywhere. -
18 Apr 2023
Not the Indo-Pacific: a Melanesian view on strategic competition
The states of the southwest Pacific are not interested in a zero-sum contest between the United States and China. -
23 Mar 2023
Papua New Guinea: media under threat
A new draft government policy is set to put journalistic freedoms to the test. -
7 Mar 2023
PNG voices: regional partnerships must be based on respect
Righting perceptions of an asymmetric relationship between PNG and Australia comes down to listening. -
1 Mar 2023
Reflections on the 29th Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum
More action led outputs needed. -
27 Feb 2023
Answers needed on the Pacific Engagement Visa
Beyond practicalities, it’s unclear whether this is a genuine “Pacific family” partnership or geopolitical convenience? -
20 Feb 2023
Papua New Guinea: Reining in MP slush funds
Allowing individual MPs to decide where money should be spent – and who should be rewarded – comes at too high a price. -
13 Feb 2023
Keeping languages alive in the family
How many Australians can speak one of Papua New Guinea’s many Indigenous languages – even those who work there? -
30 Jan 2023
For PNG, Albanese’s visit was about more than just security
Dealing with Australia and keeping a door open to China gives James Marape the chance to foster the local economy. -
25 Jan 2023
Chinese aid to the Pacific: decreasing, but not disappearing
With fewer Chinese finances available and less demand from Pacific countries, geopolitical competition is opening up. -
13 Jan 2023
PNG needs a census, not more population estimates
Knowing a true number of residents is crucial to set development goals – for local government and foreign partners. -
21 Dec 2022
Seeking independence: three books to read this summer
From Timorese history and Bougainville’s dreams to Australia’s regional stories, catch up on essential background. -
9 Dec 2022
MP slush funds used to maintain power in PNG
The more cash, the more chance of an incumbent ruling party’s success at elections. -
25 Nov 2022
Riots serve an unexpected lesson in the Pacific
A new report on civil unrest in the region calls for a longer and wider lens in analysing reasons and rationales. -
23 Nov 2022
Papua New Guinea: lessons of the last decade in four charts
Translating economic semantics into higher incomes, better living standards and good governance is the next step. -
7 Nov 2022
Party politics in Papua New Guinea
While the machinations might appear incomprehensible, some trends can be detected in PNG’s complicated party system. -
31 Oct 2022
By the numbers: Papua New Guinea and development funding
Australian funding to its Pacific neighbour outstripped the region’s major partners by four to one during the pandemic. -
31 Oct 2022
Overcoming suspicion: reconciliation for Australia and Bougainville
The angry reaction to Richard Marles’ comments should be a warning to Canberra about the need to settle past grievances. -
26 Oct 2022
PNG: Climate action, social change and a minister for coffee
A unique Arabica crop has the potential to improve women’s financial inclusion and climate change all at once. -
12 Oct 2022
World Mental Health Day: reflections from Papua New Guinea
Misunderstandings about the challenges involved are resulting in stigma, unemployment and isolation. -
11 Oct 2022
The Global Fragility Act in PNG: can the US succeed?
A seemingly radical approach that relies on prevention and relinquishing control may be a foreign policy game-changer. -
29 Sep 2022
Ending capital punishment for good in Papua New Guinea
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
The missing foreign policy debate in PNG’s 2022 elections
Limited knowledge and paucity of interest is a concern, not just for local accountability but also for other countries. -
4 Aug 2022
PNG’s troubled election should be a wake-up call for Australia
Shocking violence has captured headlines. A higher benchmark is needed in support of a free and credible ballot. -
27 Jul 2022
PNG’s election a violent event
Bitter experience should have been a warning that elections need to be properly planned and administered. -
27 Jun 2022
Pacific labour mobility and the existential threat of climate change
Australia needs to walk the walk on emissions, migration targets and resettlements to make itself a good neighbour. -
27 Jun 2022
This year’s Pacific elections marginalise and isolate too many
As 2022 national polls unfold, it is evident that a global decline in democracy is disadvantaging the most vulnerable. -
7 Jun 2022
PNG’s elections: dangers that lie on social media
Facebook has a major reach in PNG, making the sheer volume of suspicious and inauthentic content online a big concern. -
25 May 2022
PNG’s new health plan: “Leaving no one behind is everybody’s business”
A homegrown effort to empower healthy communities will still benefit from sustained international engagement. -
23 May 2022
PNG and the Solomon Islands-China security agreement
While respecting Solomon Islands sovereignty, regional solutions to regional problems are not yet fully exhausted. -
10 May 2022
Where are the women? The challenge facing the next PNG parliament
A country ranking among the world’s lowest for political participation by women has enormous social bias to overcome. -
19 Apr 2022
With elections looming, PNG rushed to create seven new districts
While the opposition worries about gerrymandering, the flaws in the decision are more about the population count. -
28 Mar 2022
PNG’s 2022 election takes shape
Parochial issues tend to dominate voter choices. But a pandemic and economy stress could make for restless elections. -
23 Mar 2022
Pacific nations send a message on Ukraine – and great power rivalries
Pacific states are watching Ukraine because their sovereignty and territorial integrity can also easily be violated. -
27 Jan 2022
Bitcoin vs the IMF, and other great expectations
A roundup of recent economic events foreshadows a year of flux and reinvention, from Europe to the Pacific. -
12 Jan 2022
The power of mercy and the death penalty in PNG
The country’s capital punishment laws need a reset, but there are better alternatives than clemency. -
22 Dec 2021
Showcasing PNG, beyond expos and summits
A lack of strategic diplomacy and targeted foreign policy are selling the country’s immense potential short. -
9 Dec 2021
The dual roles of PNG politicians, and why they fail at both
By focusing on service delivery closer to home, MPs are neglecting their mandated role as national lawmakers. -
19 Nov 2021
Bougainville independence: recalling promises of international help
The pandemic has blown the referendum result off front pages – but that doesn’t make the challenge any easier.