19/03/2025
Opening Statement by ABG President at the Joint Consultation Moderator Meeting
Sir Jerry Mateparae, Distinguished Moderator, the Honourable James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Foreign Missions, distinguished dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen.
First I would like to thank you Sir Jerry for this most unique opportunity to present our case in this very historical meeting. It is a historical event because you are here on our invitation to broker this dialogue. It is particularly significant as this is very much, the last leg of our journey.
Secondly, I welcome the presence of representatives of the international community especially the friends of Bougainville who stood behind us to bring about a truce and ceasefire and to pave the way for negotiations.
Many of us present here today have personal experience of those negotiations up to and including the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
I thank the National Government for inviting the signatories to the Peace Agreement to witness the opening ceremony of this moderation. As one of the key negotiators in those days, I still remember, we never argued to implement our part of the bargain, and I still remember I had to meet the BPA commitments as my part of the bargain. And in the same spirit, Honorable Prime Minister, I now expect your Government to take ownership and endorse independence in this 11th parliament.
Prime Minister, I appeal to you to take the Bougainville referendum results and pass it to the National Minister for Bougainville Affairs to present to the National Parliament for endorsement through this moderation process in the same manner the National Constitution was amended to give effect to the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
By this action of the Parliament of Papua New Guinea, to amend the Constitution in 2001, PNG was probably the first independent state anywhere to have accorded the UN Charter right and principle of self-determination of peoples to its own people under its domestic laws and regulations.
We recognize that the sessional order is a process that will happen in the national parliament and while we appreciate the engagement in this particular subject, it has diverted our attention from the core agenda of the political settlement on independence. The referendum Independence result must be endorsed. In the spirit of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, the two governments can jointly decide as part of the consultations to reach agreement on a bilateral relationship for independence for Bougainville outside of parliament.
Bougainville’s agenda is independence and in our post-referendum consultations we have made this clear, resulting in joint agreements such as the Wabag roadmap and the Era Kone Covenant. Therefore, it is my expectation that the moderation process will have to address the Bougainville independence issue.
I thank the signatory countries that witnessed the Peace Agreement, for your commitment. I trust that as the witnesses to the BPA, you will respect the Bougainville people’s democratic choice for Independence, decided through a constitutionally granted referendum for independence. I am aware that some countries are already implicated in pushing their neo-colonial interests in Bougainville and I ask that you refrain from interfering.
Sir Jerry, my people have set 1st September 2027, as the date for independence to take effect. This decision is consistent with the jointly agreed Referendum Results Implementation Roadmap, commonly known as the ‘Wabag Roadmap’, that set the window of ‘no earlier than 2025, no later than 2027’, for the declaration of independence. As President, I will uphold the decision of my people throughout these moderation consultations.
I look forward that this moderation process will conclude with an agreement on the independence package for Bougainville.
The Bougainville Peace Agreement is a political settlement that has three pillars; Weapons Disposal, Autonomy and Referendum. Out of the three pillars, the Referendum pillar was the key pillar that held the commitment of all Bougainvilleans to the peace process, by guaranteeing in the National Constitution, a choice of separate independence for Bougainville.
The definition of independence was defined by the Government of PNG as, ‘An independent nation state with sovereign powers and laws, recognized under international law and by other sovereign states to be an independent state, separate from the State of Papua New Guinea.’ The people voted for independence and to propose any other option in this moderation is detrimental to the peace process.
We all know Papua New Guinea is going to celebrate its 50 years independence anniversary. In the case of Bougainville, this marks more than 50 years of struggle for independence within Papua New Guinea. It is important to remember that Bougainville leaders have lobbied for Bougainville’s Independence well before PNG’s Independence without any recognition from international bodies.
In conclusion, Mr Moderator, as far as I am concerned, the process of negotiating independence was concluded with the referendum. My understanding is that this moderation is about reaching agreement on implementing the referendum result of independence. Therefore, my focus in this moderation is to define the new relationship between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea as two independent sovereign states. This relationship can be captured through an independence package for Bougainville.
Bougainville has done its part in this peace process. It is now your turn.
May God continue to bless Bougainville and Papua New Guinea.
His Excellency Hon. Ishmael Toroama, MHR
President
https://abg.gov.pg/index.php?/news/read/opening-statement-by-abg-president-at-the-joint-consultation-moderator-meeting
