Roundtable: Papua New Guinea in 2015 – At a crossroads and beyond
The Lowy Institute for International Policy invites you to a special roundtable meeting on the future of Papua New Guinea and Australia’s relations with our nearest neighbour to mark the 40th anniversary of the independence of Papua New Guinea.
In 2015, Papua New Guinea is predicted to record the highest GDP growth rate in the world. But 2015 is also the year that the country will be one of only three in the world not to reach any of the Millennium Development Goals, along with North Korea and Zimbabwe.
Papua New Guinea stands at a crossroads. Despite marking 14 successive years of economic growth this year, Papua New Guinea has not yet been able to overcome seemingly intractable obstacles to development progress. Concerns about the impact of falling gas and other commodity prices are tempering confidence about further benefits from the resources boom. At the same time, there are good reasons to be optimistic about Papua New Guinea’s future. Papua New Guinea has broadened its international engagement and has attracted foreign investment from a broader base, capitalising on opportunities to make the most of the Asian century. The next generation of leaders shows extraordinary promise and has the energy to drive change.
The Lowy Institute is bringing together a select group of experts and professionals who have deep interests in the future of Papua New Guinea to harness their knowledge and develop a fresh perspective on Australia’s nearest neighbour. In this year, the 40th anniversary of independence, we think new and innovative ideas are required to guide all forms of Australian engagement with Papua New Guinea.
The roundtable event will be conducted on a Chatham House-rules basis. The Lowy Institute proposes to publish the outcomes from the discussion on a non-attributable basis. The Institute, as the host of the Australia-Papua New Guinea Network, will promote the best ideas to stimulate a better informed understanding within Australia of the challenges and opportunities in Papua New Guinea’s future.
