Friday 6th February 2026, Port Moresby – In a report, Transparency International Papua New Guinea (TIPNG) raises concern over the increasing pressure on civic freedoms in PNG. TIPNG’s Enabling Environment Baseline Snapshot 2025, shows trends seen over the past six months. Issues include inappropriatelaws, weak enforcement of constitutional protections, and restrictions to civic and digital spaces. To address this, TIPNG says, there is a need for government and relevant actors to uphold PNG’s constitutional protections and respond to citizens and civil society.
“The Baseline Snapshot provides a starting point as an early warning system to defend civic freedoms. This is useful for thinking about national challenges like the coming 2027 National General Election. Using the baseline, key actors in Government and agencies can take early actions. Doing so creates an environment where people in PNG can freely exercise their constitutional rights,” said TIPNG CEO, Arianne Kassman.
A key finding in the Snapshot is that while civic freedoms exist in PNG’s laws, they are ineffective because of weak enforcement. Civic freedoms include; civic participation, freedom of association, access to information, and the freedom of expression in-person and online. The Snapshot will be followed by a forthcoming Country Report with recommendations for specific actions.
The 2025 Snapshot is supported by the European Union through the EU Supporting an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE) Project. The EU SEE Project operates an early warning and monitoring mechanism across 86 countries to track and document trends affecting civil society.
In Papua New Guinea, TIPNG serves as the in-country coordinator of the EU SEE Project. TIPNG provides regular updates, alerts, and analysis that contribute to national, regional, and global reporting. Through its engagement with the Project, TIPNG continues to call for the protection of fundamental freedoms in PNG. TIPNG encourages stakeholders, partners, and members of the public to read and engage with the findings of the report.
The report is available online here: https://eusee.hivos.org/document/papua-new-guinea-ee-baseline-snapshot/
