• Mr. Thomas Eluh, ICAC Interim Chairman
• Representatives from PMD&NEC, DJAG
• Representatives from Departments
• Representatives from TI PNG

Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen

Monin Tru Olgeta

It is my privilege to open the workshop on Anti-Corruption Legislation and Cooperation, organized by UNDP in PNG within the Preventing and Countering Corruption in Papua New Guinea Project – PNG Anti-Corruption Project - funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UNODC.

I would like to thank the European Union for their kind support, Mr. Eluh and his team from the Interim Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Department of Prime Minister and Executive Council for a great collaboration.

I would also like to thank Department of Justice and Attorney General for their overall support and particularly for co-organizing series of anti-corruption workshops and trainings held by UNDP within the PNG Anti-Corruption Project in the last quarter of year 2022.

The current series of trainings and workshops started in first week of October with
trainings on:

• whistle-blower protection and continued with workshop on
• investigations of administrative complaints and
• training on unexplained wealth last week.

The workshops will continue tomorrow with a workshop on implementation, monitoring and oversight of National Anti-Corruption Plan of Action and on Thursday with workshop on Role of Civil Society, Private Sector in Media in fight against corruption for non-state actors.

The last trainings and workshops this year will start in the week commencing 21 November with training on Unexplained wealth Part 2: Practical aspects and two workshops on asset declarations and conflicts of interest for public officials.

All the workshops and trainings organized by UNDP are led by globally recognized anticorruption experts within the PNG Anti-Corruption Project, generously funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UNODC.
The key objective of today’s workshop on Anti-Corruption legislation and cooperation is to present and discuss the current legislative anti-corruption framework in Papua New Guinea and foundations for cooperation between key anti-corruption departments and agencies.

Even the strongest anti-corruption laws cannot be effective if they were not implemented properly.

Papua New Guinea has adopted some anti-corruption laws such as Organic Law on ICAC and Whistleblower Act 2022, however, implementation has not started yet.

A good coordination and cooperation between the anti-corruption departments and agencies is of utmost importance for addressing corruption in every country. It is crucial that foundations for this kind of collaboration is included in anti-corruption legislation and strategies.

UNDP has done a lot of work related to implementation of the anti-corruption legislation in the first year of the PNG Anti-Corruption Project, such as an

1. in-depth analysis of the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership related to asset declarations and conflicts of interest with recommendations for the legislative amendments,
2. in-depth analysis of Whistle-blower Act 2020 with recommendations for legislative amendments,
3. two model whistle-blower policies in accordance with Whistle-blower Act 2020 and OLICAC,
4. draft Regulation to the Whistle-blower Act 2020,
5. draft Regulation to the OLICAC,
6. draft Right to Information Policy and a
7. brief analysis of the section 8 of Proceeds of Crime Act on Unexplained wealth in relation to which the training was organized last week.

Papua New Guinea is currently undergoing the 2nd UNCAC review cycle, and the report will also help clarifying which anti-corruption law would need to be amended in the future once when it will be finalized.

The key purpose of today’s workshop is to present and discuss the current anticorruption legislative framework in the PNG, and how the PNG key anti-corruption and integrity institutions can work together to ensure an effective implementation of the key anti-corruption laws.

UNDP will be delighted to support this important process and implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Plan of Action 2020 – 2025 further within the PNG Anti-Corruption Project and in close collaboration with our key national partners such as DJAG, Interim ICAC and DPMNEC and other anti-corruption and integrity institutions in Papua New Guinea and the non-state actors.

Wishing you a successful workshop!

Thank you. Tenk yu tru.