Evaluating the Bougainville Peace Agreement’s Implementation

Please note that this is a hybrid event. For online attendance please sign up to obtain the Zoom link. Access link will be delivered via email upon registration.

To what extent has the partial implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement affected the Autonomous Region of Bougainville’s ability to realise its long-standing aspirations for self-determination? This question lies at the heart of Kevin Pullen’s doctoral research. In this seminar, Kevin will provide an update on his doctoral research, including preliminary findings from fieldwork conducted earlier this year in Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. His analysis focuses on the practical and political challenges that continue to hinder full implementation of the Agreement, despite its foundational role in shaping Bougainville’s autonomy and providing for a referendum on the region’s future political status. Issues to be discussed will include the impact of persistent capacity constraints, the continued underpayment of constitutionally mandated grants from the national government to the Autonomous Bougainville Government , and the lack of progress on several provisions designed to support the region’s transition to independence, including critical coordination, consultation and review mechanisms. The seminar will also explore how these implementation gaps have influenced public confidence in the peace process and the broader implications for Bougainville’s political future. 

Speaker

Kevin has lived and worked in Papua New Guinea for more than a decade. For the last 6 years he has been engaged as an adviser to support the Bougainville peace process and the implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA). His doctoral research is focused on the complexities of the administrative arrangements related to the BPA and inter-governmental capacity constraints.