Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) National Goals and Directive Principles provide the Job Description of all leaders of this nation. They set the foundation on which this nation must be governed. But it seems our leaders have forgotten the script.

Forty years ago, 16 Papua New Guinean members of then, House of Assembly, developed a vision for a new nation.

The Constitutional Planning Committee (CPC) summarized certain underlying principles to form the basis of the development of the National Goals and Directive Principles in our Constitution. These underlying principles were Nation Building, Development of people, Participation and Decentralization, Consultation and Consensus, Rights and Freedoms, and Quality of Leadership.  It was from these Principles that our National Goals were born:

  • Integral human development
  • Equality and participation’
  • National Sovereignty and Self Reliance
  • Conservation of our natural resources and environment
  • The use of Papua New Guinean ways

As PNG  faced self-government, the CPC declared:

“…Our Constitution should look towards the future and act as an accelerator in the process of development.  It should be related to the national goals that we leaders of this country are enunciating.  A clear definition of Papua New Guinea's most fundamental national goals, and a statement setting out the implications of their acceptance for the ways in which the Government seeks to achieve those goals, is of great importance to the welfare of our people and to the effectiveness of the Constitution in promoting it…”

Our National Goals and Directive Principles were specifically aimed at achieving a Free and Just Society.

Forty years on and PNG is still at the crossroads. This nation has in the last 10 years seen an increase in resource project development proposed at an accelerated rate bringing with it the very issues foreseen by our founding fathers. Not only did they foresee these, they set the principles upon which our leaders should lead in order to avoid the inevitable perils.

This is the ideal moment in history to put on our brakes. We should ask ourselves whether the Spirit of our Constitution and its goals and directive principles, has indeed been our guardian angel?

As a truly resource rich country, have we achieved true economic independence? Are our gold, copper and oil processed onshore? Is the cost of petroleum products in this country reflective of, an oil-producing nation?

Have we provided citizens of this country, the opportunity to develop themselves so they are better equipped to participate on a level playing field, in the development of this nation?

Have successive governments of this nation allowed its citizens the right to equitable participation in development of this nation?

Are the resources of this nation being equitably shared across all provinces?

Have successive governments of this nation adequately taken into consideration and protected land and human rights of our people?

Has our government diligently used our natural resources and pristine environment both marine and terrestrial, for the collective benefit of current and future generations?

Our leaders need a Job appraisal! and it is the responsibility of the people of PNG to do that appraisal. We need to Act Now!