Delivering under the Australia-Papua New Guinea bilateral security agreement

The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP
Media Release

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Senator the Hon Penny Wong

Attorney-General
Cabinet Secretary
The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP

Minister for Defence Industry
Minister for International Development and the Pacific
The Hon Pat Conroy MP

Joint media release

Today, following the 30th Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum, we announce a package of new initiatives to strengthen Papua New Guinea's internal security and law and justice priorities.

The initiatives, to be delivered under Australia and Papua New Guinea's Bilateral Security Agreement, include:

  • support for PNG's legal system to help PNG investigate and prosecute financial crime;  
  • investments in programs to improve access to justice for young people and remote and regional communities;  
  • support to make PNG's correctional facilities safer and more secure.

We will deliver additional support for stability in the PNG Highlands, including a new program to help PNG improve weapons management and a partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

We will also provide further assistance to PNG in ‘non-traditional' security areas, such as cyber, biosecurity, and to address gender-based violence.

These initiatives will be funded from the $200 million committed by Australia to support PNG's internal security priorities through our landmark Bilateral Security Agreement, announced by Prime Ministers Albanese and Marape in December 2023. 

In recent months, we have made progress on delivering on our ambitions for our bilateral security partnership, including through:

  • commencement of construction on new police housing in Port Moresby and Mount Hagen;
  • additional Australian Federal Police support to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) on recruitment, training and forensics;
  • RPNGC Officer Cadet placements in the Queensland Police Service in Far North Queensland; 
  • a new Police Patrol Vessel to enable the RPNGC to conduct long-range patrols of sea borders.

In addition, our flagship Australia-PNG Law and Justice partnership is expanding from five to seven PNG provinces and regions, strengthening service delivery and access to justice for Papua New Guineans.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong: 

"Australia and Papua New Guinea are working closely together to advance our shared priorities and ensure a peaceful, stable, prosperous Pacific.

"These new initiatives further strengthen our security partnership and deliver on our commitments under our landmark Bilateral Security Agreement."

Quotes attributable to Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP:  

"I was pleased to commission the Police Patrol Vessel Minigulai yesterday, which is just one example of how Australia is stepping up to strengthen PNG's policing capabilities.

"Already this year we have broken ground to start delivering on a $37 million initiative to build police housing to help RPNGC get more police on the ground across PNG.

"The AFP continues to work closely with the RPNGC, including to recruit qualified senior officers, train police prosecutors and uplift forensics capability."

Quotes attributable to Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP: 

"We're working with the Government of Papua New Guinea on their priorities, including strengthening the legal and justice system.

"The packages we announce today will help build capacity across PNG's legal system to investigate and prosecute cases and improve access to justice in remote and regional communities."