Skip to main content
Menu Menu Close
Africa
Americas
Asia and the Pacific
Europe
Western Asia
Flag

Papua New Guinea

Monthly Event Reports

February 2024 | Historic deadly violence in Enda Province

At least 64 people were killed in intertribal violence in Papua New Guinea’s Enda Province in mid-February. The violence confirmed so far marks the deadliest such outbreak in recent years, which Enga Governor Peter Ipatas attributed to a long period of escalation that was “probably the biggest tribal fight we’ve ever had.” The specific cause of this outbreak of violence remains unclear. The violence is one of several overlapping crises in the country, including a year-long fuel shortage and ongoing efforts to remove Prime Minister James Marape via a vote of no confidence for his government’s alleged failure to maintain public order.

January 2024 | More than 20 dead in nationwide riots

Papua New Guinea’s government declared a two-week state of emergency on 11 January after a wave of riots and violence in major cities resulted in at least 20 deaths. Several MPs resigned over the official disorder and Prime Minister James Marape suspended top police and civil servants in response to the failure of law enforcement to adequately react to and contain the violence, pending an investigation. The riots began as a peaceful protest by police officers after what the government says was an administrative error caused public servants to receive only half their usual salaries on 10 January. The riots took place against public discontent over persistent high unemployment and inflation and low wages. Observers suggested opposition parties could hold a no-confidence vote to remove Marape from office as soon as next month, when the post-election grace period forbidding such votes expires.

December 2023 | Political control of public finances raises alarm

A Finance Department directive issued 1 December 2023 transferred financial control over all payments by subnational governments from public servants to elected MPs and governors. A majority of provincial administrators, as well as lower-level public servants, told the country’s Post-Courier newspaper the move was unconstitutional and would worsen the problem of elected officials using public money as “slush funds,” redirecting money to their supporters and damaging service delivery. MPs already held a significant personal amount of control over public spending in their districts, which critics and analysts have for years argued contributed to systemic clientelism and even increased violence around electoral cycles – although the latter claim has yet to be proven.

October 2023 | GBV more prevalent than thought, committee finds

Gender-based and sorcery violence is much more prevalent than has been previously believed in Papua New Guinea, according to the first report from the country’s Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE). GEWE’s report, presented to parliament on 5 October, said that incidents of physical violence were expected to exceed 100,000 within a few years, and that only four per cent of sexual violence cases since January 2021 resulted in an arrest. The report includes 71 policy recommendations, including gender quotas for elected office, increased funding to health services, and more.

Explore past monthly event reports

GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

Chevron

Basic Information

Chevron
Population Tooltip
9 119 000
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister James Marape (since 2019)
Head of government party
Pangu Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
Alternative Vote
Women in lower or single chamber
1.8%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2022
Head of state
King Charles III
Selection process for head of state
Hereditary or election by hereditary state rulers
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
04/11/2021
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
62.73%
Population Tooltip
9 119 000
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister James Marape (since 2019)
Head of government party
Pangu Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
Alternative Vote
Women in lower or single chamber
1.8%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2022
Head of state
King Charles III
Selection process for head of state
Hereditary or election by hereditary state rulers
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
04/11/2021
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
62.73%
Tooltip text

Human Rights Treaties

Chevron
State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No Action
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
in
Tooltip text

Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time

0 10