multilateral division

MULTILATERAL DIVISION

The Multilateral and Development Cooperation Division is a policy division. It is responsible for all the key aspects and issues under PNG’s multilateral relations with the different regional and international organizations; institutions and arrangements. It is also responsible for development cooperation and aid assistance matters with development partner countries and organizations and entities. The division has five (5) branches with the following main responsibilities:

International Organizations (IO) Branch

The branch is responsible for key aspects of PNG’s engagement with multilateral organizations and arrangements. This includes the United Nations (UN) and its Specialized Agencies, Commonwealth and others that include non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It deals with Climate Change matters; Human Rights issues; and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It is also responsible for coordinating payment of PNG’s assessed membership contributions to various international organizations and arrangements in which PNG is a member or State Party. It coordinates election bids and requests for support from different countries for their endorsed candidates to various positions in different international organizations.

International Economic Arrangements (IEA) Branch

The branch pursues PNG’s engagement and interests in multilateral economic matters, including trade and investment facilitation, promotion of PNG products, developing new trade agreements and markets and environment related issues in trade.

It coordinates and services PNG’s membership requirements in World Trade Organization (WTO), UNCTAD, WIPO and other multilateral economic organizations in close internal consultations with other governments, especially the National Trade Office (NTO) and the private sector organizations as necessary. It is also responsible for servicing and representing PNG’s membership obligations in international commodity organizations; re-negotiation of commodity agreements and coordinate payment of membership fees for these organizations in consultation with concerned national and industry commodity boards and organizations.

Regional Economic Affairs (REA) Branch

The branch oversees the major regional economic relations and matters in the region. It is responsible for all the regional fisheries matters emanating from Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA); Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA); a sub-regional arrangement on tuna fisheries; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC); the Pacific Commission (SPC); and Bilateral Fisheries Access Negotiations with Distant Water Fishing Nations. It coordinates and represents PNG in these regional and international fisheries meetings with government agencies like National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG) and as necessary, the industry.

The branch also deals with the Air Services Agreements (ASA) and Double Tax Avoidance Treaties (DTT) between PNG and other countries. It plays a leading role in the inter-agency committee comprising government and private sector agencies that develops and negotiates these Agreements. Likewise, the branch is also responsible and performs a leading role in coordinating and participating in Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPA) negotiations in close consultation with the Investment Promotion Authority.

Development Cooperation Branch

The branch is responsible for the Department’s oversight role on negotiating and facilitating development assistance and aid from different international donor countries, organizations and entities or institutions. It does this in close consultation with the Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM) and other implementing government agencies.

The branch works closely with other government departments and agencies to develop and negotiate technical and development cooperation agreements or arrangements with selected bilateral countries or partners and regional and international organizations to better control and coordinate the facilitation and implementation of development assistance and technical aid in the country, especially its alignment with the key government priorities and overall development agenda.

It coordinates PNG’s political and diplomatic engagement with the EU both at the OACPS level in collaboration with the PNG Embassy in Brussels and in the region in consultation with Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. It coordinates PNG’s representation and participates at the EU-OACPS and Pacific OACPS meetings at the Leaders, Ministerial and diplomats or officials’ level.

It deals with the policy aspects of the application of the Aid Status Act and works closely with the Protocol Division to evaluate, determine and advice on requests from international organizations and non-governmental and humanitarian organizations either working in PNG or providing various forms of aid and assistance to be granted Designated Aid Status and recognized as aid organizations.

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Unit

The unit was created to provide policy advice and support during PNG’s hosting of APEC in 2018 given the important role of the Department in the overall policy work that was done across the government system and private sector in readiness for PNG to assume the APEC chair and host the APEC year in 2018.

This unit continues to perform its supportive role to the PNG APEC Secretariat in the Prime Minister’s Department. It participates in major meetings such as Committee on Trade and Investment; Experts and Working Groups; Senior

Officials Meetings (SOMs); Ministerial Meetings including the Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting; and the annual APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) that precedes the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) given the role of the Minister in the MRT and AMM and consequently as the chief or key political advisor to the Prime Minister during the AELM.

Postal Address:

P.O Box 422, Waigani,
National Capital District (NCD)
Papua New Guinea (PNG)

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