Latest news with #JerryMateparae
Scoop
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
PNG And Bougainville Leaders To Finalise Independence Agreements On Thursday
Leaders of Papua New Guinea and Bougainville are due to hold a one-day meeting on Thursday to sign off on agreements related to the autonomous region's quest for independence. The meeting will likely mark the end of the involvement of former New Zealand governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae. Sir Jerry was brought in to help find a way forward after a years' long stalemate over the tabling of the results of Bougainville's independence referendum. His involvement is set to end as Bougainville enters its election process, with writs expected to be issued at the end of next week. Most recently, ten days of meetings in Burnham, New Zealand, orchestrated by Sir Jerry, appear to have failed to achieve significant progress. The PNG and Bougainville governments have largely refused to talk about the issues publicly. Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is set to attend a major peace and reconciliation ceremony between PNG and Bougainville in September. PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko has confirmed Guterres' attendance. The Post-Courier reports Tkatchenko saying the UN chief will be in Port Moresby from 2-3 September for the national reconciliation. The national reconciliation was originally going to be staged in 2019 before Bougainvilleans had voted in their independence referendum, but it did not go ahead.
RNZ News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Bougainville independence talks may resume this week
The PNG government agreed to a Bougainville request for a moderator to be brought in to solve an impasse over the tabling of the region's independence referendum. Photo: 123RF / RNZ Pacific There are hopes in Papua New Guinea and Bougainville that talks on the independence issue will resume this week. Bougainville's autonomous government (ABG) wants a commitment from PNG that it will table the results of an independence referendum in its parliament. The Bougainville politicians place a lot of credence in this referendum, which, while non-binding, had a 97.7 percent backing for Bougainville to become independent. Ten days of meetings earlier this month at the New Zealand military camp at Burnham, near Christchurch, failed to reach resolution . Former NZ Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae is the independent moderator appointed to mediate a political pathway between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. 13 June 2025 Photo: Autonomous Bougainville Government The moderator, former New Zealand Governor General, Sir Jerry Mateparae, said that meeting concluded with a proposal for a ' Melanesian relationship agreement' which, he said, would be debated by the leaders in the last week of June. What is in that 'Melanesian relationship,' put forward by Bougainville, hasn't been made clear. But Bougainville Attorney General Ezekiel Masatt, said the ABG will not be accepting the PNG suggestions of 'free association' or some sort of 'confederation' within PNG. Meanwhile, a former PNG Chief Secretary, Isaac Lupari, said the National Constitution doesn't allow for any part of the country to secede, so it up to parliament to decide on Bougainville's status. Sir John Kaputin, a former MP and the former State negotiator for PNG on the Bougainville Peace Agreement, has reminded leaders of the need for compromise. He said: "It's a two-way thing that leaders of Bougainville must be serious about their leadership among our people and it's up for the National Government to listen to what they are proposing."
Scoop
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Bougainville And Papua New Guinea Struggle To Find Common Ground
The Bougainville Attorney-General says the autonomous region and the Papua New Guinea government may sign an agreement on the way ahead in their push for independence next week. A week of talks at Burnham Camp in New Zealand last week failed to produce a political agreement on implementing implement the outcome of the 2019 Bougainville Referendum. However, further talks, again mediated by former New Zealand Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, are scheduled to go ahead next week. Ezekiel Masatt told the Post-Courier that Bougainville "firmly rejected" PNG's renewed proposals for "free association" and "confederation". He added that the talks cannot progress constructively until the PNG government is willing to openly pronounce the word "independence." Bougainville put forward what it called a "Melanesian Solution" with the autonomous region being granted some sovereign powers immediately. Former Papua New Guinea MP, Sir John Kaputin, has called for the leaders of PNG to listen to Bougainville, and for the leaders of Bougainville to be serious about their duties on behalf of their people. Sir John was closely involved in the cease fire in Bougainville in 1998, after being appointed the special State negotiator by Sir Rabbie Namaliu. He has told the Post Courier this week that "It's a two-way thing that leaders of Bougainville must be serious about their leadership among our people and it's up for the National Government to listen to what they are proposing." he said. Former PNG chief secretary Isaac Lupari has called for caution on Bougainville's push for independence. He pointed out that the national constitution does not allow for any part of the country to secede. Lupari is quoted in the Post-Courier saying "the pathway for determining Bougainville's future is enshrined in our National Constitution which makes it clear that the decision-making authority in relation to the Bougainville referendum results rests with the National Parliament."
RNZ News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Bougainville and Papua New Guinea struggle to find common ground
Photo: Supplied The Bougainville Attorney-General says the autonomous region and the Papua New Guinea government may sign an agreement on the way ahead in their push for independence. A week of talks at Burnham Camp in New Zealand last week failed to produce a political agreement on implementing implement the outcome of the 2019 Bougainville Referendum. However, further talks, again mediated by former New Zealand Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, are scheduled to go ahead next week. Former NZ Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae is the independent moderator appointed to mediate a political pathway between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. 13 June 2025 Photo: Autonomous Bougainville Government Ezekiel Masatt told the Post-Courier that Bougainville "firmly rejected" PNG's renewed proposals for "free association" and "confederation". He added that the talks cannot progress constructively until the PNG government is willing to openly pronounce the word "independence." Bougainville put forward what it called a "Melanesian Solution" with the autonomous region being granted some sovereign powers immediately. Former Papua New Guinea MP, Sir John Kaputin, has called for the leaders of PNG to listen to Bougainville, and for the leaders of Bougainville to be serious about their duties on behalf of their people. Sir John was closely involved in the cease fire in Bougainville in 1998, after being appointed the special State negotiator by Sir Rabbie Namaliu. He has told the Post Courier this week that "It's a two-way thing that leaders of Bougainville must be serious about their leadership among our people and it's up for the National Government to listen to what they are proposing." he said. Former PNG chief secretary Isaac Lupari has called for caution on Bougainville's push for independence. He pointed out that the national constitution does not allow for any part of the country to secede. Lupari is quoted in the Post-Courier saying "the pathway for determining Bougainville's future is enshrined in our National Constitution which makes it clear that the decision-making authority in relation to the Bougainville referendum results rests with the National Parliament."
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
‘Melanesian Relationship Agreement' Endorsed At Bougainville Independence Talks
Article – RNZ The talks concluded with the endorsement of a proposed 'Melanesian relationship agreement' that will be taken to the leaders of PNG and ABG during the last week of June., RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Delegates to this week's deliberations at Burnham Army base in New Zealand over Bougainville's quest for independence from Papua New Guinea placed emphasis on shared values and commitments. Bougainville's Government has stated that it wants to be independent by September 2027. The critical issue going into these talks centred on the difficulties the autonomous province has faced getting the results of its independence referendum tabled in the PNG parliament. That referendum vote was overwhelmingly in favour of independence. The meeting was closed to media. This week's talks, held at what the PNG Prime Minister James Marape dubbed the 'spiritual home of the Bougainville peace process' led to a recognition of a need for a 'pathway to peace by peaceful means'. In a statement, the parties reveal they want a solution that is homegrown and maintains a close, peaceful and enduring familial relationship between PNG and Bougainville. The delegates called this a 'Melanesian Partnership'. 'Parties agreed on core elements of the proposed future political relationship and how to work with parliament for taking their agreement forward, including the integral role to be played by the bipartisan parliamentary committee on Bougainville.' The talks concluded with the endorsement of a proposed 'Melanesian relationship agreement' that will be taken to the leaders of PNG and ABG during the last week of June. The parties and the independent moderator, former New Zealand Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, expressed deep appreciation for the support of the government and people of Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Nations.
