Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea participated in a virtual Pacific Roundtable hosted by New Zealand on 7 December 2021 to prepare for the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW, where it stated that it hoped to become a state party to the TPNW soon.[1] Approval by the National Executive Council and Parliament is still pending.
| TPNW Article 1(1) prohibitions: Compatibility in 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compatible |
| Test | Compatible | |
| Possess or stockpile | Compatible | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compatible |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compatible |
| (d) | Use | Compatible |
| Threaten to use | Compatible | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compatible |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compatible |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compatible |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| 2021 UNGA resolution on TPNW | Voted yes |
| 2020 UNGA resolution on TPNW | Voted yes |
| 2019 UNGA resolution on TPNW | Voted yes |
| 2018 UNGA resolution on TPNW | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations | Yes |
| Share of women in TPNW negotiations | 0% |
| Vote on adoption of treaty text | Voted yes |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| IAEA safeguards and fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Safeguards Agreement | Yes |
| TPNW Art 3(2) deadline | N/A |
| Small Quantities Protocol | Yes (Modified) |
| Additional Protocol | No |
| Fissile material production facilities | No |
| Highly enriched uranium stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks (mil/civ) | No/No |
| Related treaties and regimes | |
|---|---|
| Party to the BWC | Yes |
| Party to the CWC | Yes |
| Party to the PTBT | Yes |
| Ratified the CTBT | No (Signed) |
| Party to the NPT | Yes |
| Party to a NWFZ | Yes (Rarotonga) |
| Member of the CD | No |
Latest developments
Papua New Guinea maintains policies and practices that are compatible with all of the prohibitions in Article 1 of the TPNW, and can therefore sign and ratify or accede to the Treaty without the need for a change in conduct.
In March 2020, the State Solicitor's Office at Papua New Guinea's Department of Attorney General advised that it had completed a legal analysis of the TPNW and provided legal clearance to the government to proceed with signature and ratification.2
Papua New Guinea voted in favour of the adoption of the TPNW at the UN Diplomatic Conference in 2017 and has consistently voted in favour of the annual UN General Assembly resolutions on the Treaty, including in 2021.
Recommendations
- Papua New Guinea should urgently adhere to the TPNW.
- Papua New Guinea should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol with the IAEA. Papua New Guinea should also ratify the CTBT.