Annex 1 - the European External Action Service - Europa

1 Introduction
1.1 THE CONTEXT
Papua New Guinea is the result of different political intentions. Its cultural diversity and the multiple
local political institutions are today housed in a state type structure. The gap between micro political
units and macro political units has led to several forms of tensions. It results in a difficulty for the
central government to implement national regulations to local level. On the local level people feel often
frustrated not to access services and often feel that their voices are not heard by the macro level.
1.2 CIVIL SOCIETY AND NON-STATE ACTORS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
When Britain, Germany and later Australia imposed upon what will become Papua New Guinea its
colonial authority, little was done to develop in the country a system of service to the population.
Roads, communications, school and education as well as health have been entrusted to non state
actors, amongst them Christian Churches have been the most active. On the other hand liberal
economy has largely been controlled by non native people and has been little controlled by central
governments. When Papua New Guinea became an independent state, it had to rely on an existing
network in which public administration and public economic regulation was fragmented and efficient
only in some urban areas. Then it relied much on the contribution of traditional forms of authority and
administration to develop a country at its birth. The new country was also assisted by growing number
of associations, churches, local institutions and authority to deliver services to local community as well
as to lobby to defend certain values (gender equity, fight against violence, protection of the
environment, and fight for landowner rights…).
1.3 THE PROJECT ORGANIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The multiplicity of the partners, who often are the relay between local communities and state agencies,
are not well known. Actors in Port Moresby, in different towns of the country, but also international
donors have expressed a desire to better know the situation, to better understand the field of activities
of the different agents, the way they contribute to the improvement of the welfare of the country and its
citizen and the way the cooperate together with the political world and with the economic actors. The
request was answered by a jointed program monitored by the Department of Community development
and funded by the European Delegation. The project consists in a preliminary mapping of the country
based on four field works (Madang, Morobe, Eastern Highlands and East New Britain). Apart form the
mapping study, the research team wishes to review the NGO/NSA legislation in PNG as well as its
system of registration, the establishment of guidelines concerning the cooperation between donors
and NSA, and the conditions for the creation of a center for civil society in PNG.
1.4 THE PARTNERS
To complete the project, the University of Papua New Guinea has one of the contributors alongside
the Department of Community development, and its antennas in the different PNG provinces, and the
Delegation of the European Union. The University of Papua New Guinea has been involved through
the strand of Anthropology/Sociology and Archaeology. The stand itself is part of the School of
Humanities and Social Sciences.
Three studies (Mapping, guidelines on cooperation between donors and NSAs centre for civil society) of NSAs in
Papua New Guinea (PNG) Final report – IBF – January 2011
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