Speaker

Anthony Regan, Department of Pacific Affairs

About

Following the November-December 2019 Bougainville Referendum, in which 97.7% of those voting - an 87.4% turnout based on an accurate roll of voters – voted for independence, the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the provisions of the PNG Constitution require the PNG National Government to ‘consult’ the Autonomous Bougainville Government on the results of the referendum, with the PNG national Parliament retaining ultimate authority to decide on the outcome following those consultations. In this presentation, Anthony Regan discusses:

• what is required under the duty to consult;
• the reasons for and consequences of the long delay in initiating the consultative process;
• engagement between the two governments prior to the actual post-referendum consultation beginning
• the beginnings of the consultation process in May 2021 and the ‘architecture’ of the consultation processes, inclusive of the resources available on both sides;
• the initial positions of the two governments;
• international community facilitation of the consultation process; and
• major issues likely to arise in the consultation process.