Australian and New Zealand High Commissions Observe the UN’s Peacebuilding and Development Efforts in the Highlands

This week, representatives from the High Commissions of Australia and New Zealand in Papua New Guinea visited Western Highlands Province to observe how communities are benefiting from coordinated United Nations efforts to improve livelihoods, strengthen essential services, and promote peace in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. 

The visit focused on the Highlands Joint Programme II (HJP II), a collaborative initiative that brings together eight UN agencies to support the government of PNG with peace, stability, and inclusive development in communities affected by tribal conflict, gender-based violence, and climate-related risks in Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, Enga and Hela provinces. 

The delegation met with provincial authorities and UN agencies to learn about progress under the programme and paid visits to communities and public services to hear first-hand accounts of how the programme is improving lives at the community level.

A key stop was the Western Highlands Provincial Hospital, where delegates observed efforts to strengthen birth registration services. The initiative aims to help more mothers and families register births directly at the point of service, facilitating legal recognition of a child and realizing their basic human rights.

Another highlight of the mission was a visit to Kelua II ward 3, a community of over 7,000 people facing multiple challenges ranging from land disputes and climate-related shocks to limited livelihoods opportunities and public services.

During the visit, a community representative of Kelua II highlighted the development and launch of the community-based disaster risk management plan with support of the Highlands Joint Programme II in 2025. The delegation also witnessed mobile civil registration services reaching residents, including internally displaced persons, to facilitate their civil registration and acquisition of legal identity documentation with the Papua New Guinea Civil & Identity Registry, to enable access to health, education, and other essential services.

The delegation also learned about Kelua II’s significant potential as a spice processing hub for the entire region. The ward already hosts a spice processing unit that sources products from four province and the Highlands Joint Programme II plans to build on this comparative advantage by supporting farmer cooperatives, strengthening value chains and market access, and expanding inclusive livelihoods opportunities for women, youth and displaced populations.

The programme partners also held discussions on ongoing efforts to address gender-based violence, sorcery accusation-related violence, and other challenges affecting the region’s women, youth and other vulnerable groups. The discussions emphasized the importance of strong partnerships between government, communities, development partners, and the United Nations in supporting long-term peace and development outcomes.

New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Charlie Gillard, who joined the visit, expressed appreciation for the work of the programme: “New Zealand is proud to be contributing to the Highlands Joint Programme, which is delivering practical improvements in people’s lives, particularly for vulnerable communities” Mr Gillard said. “A key strength of the programme is its integrated, locally led approach, bringing different agencies and stakeholders together around shared goals, that bring impact for Highlands communities.”

Moreover, Ms. Natalie Hogg, the Second Secretary of the Australian High Commission, commended the provincial authorities for demonstrating strong ownership over the programme and highlighted the need to continue aligning the community-level interventions with provincial plans:

 "What stands out in this programme is the strong focus on building and strengthening Papua New Guinea's own systems and coordination mechanisms. Sustainable peace and development require structures that continue to work long after individual activities are completed. It is encouraging to see the strong ownership demonstrated by provincial authorities and communities, because it is ultimately their commitment and leadership that will sustain these efforts into the future,” she stated. 

The visit demonstrated the continued commitment of New Zealand and Australia to working alongside Papua New Guinea, provincial leaders, UN partners, and communities to promote and create inclusive growth and strengthen stability across the Highlands.

For more information, please contact: 

Juho Valta | Head of Communications, UNDP, PNG | juho.emil.aleksi.valta@undp.org