After the Bougainville Referendum of 2019, in which 97.7 per cent of Bougainvilleans expressed their preference for a future independent of Papua New Guinea, the two Governments must consult and agree on the future political status of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The outcome of such consultations will then be presented to the National Parliament which is the final decision-making authority.

The first post-referendum consultation meeting between the National Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government has taken place in May 2021 in Kokopo, East New Britain Province, and was chaired by the United Nations. A series of meetings will follow marking the last stage of the formal process established by the BPA, signed in 2001.

Currently, the Bougainville Transition Dialogues are raising awareness of the peace process, including the post-referendum consultations, capturing the views of Bougainvilleans from all levels of society. The Bougainville Transition Dialogues represent a channel of expression, linking the Bougainville population – from the political sphere to communities, particularly women and youth.

The Dialogues’ facilitators have received support from local level governments and witnessed strong participation from people of all backgrounds. Many participants voiced the view that community dialogues are one of the most effective ways to receive information, giving communities a sense of ownership and participation in the political processes.

Peace facilitators travelled far and wide, north to south across Bougainville, to reach key groups from a population of approx. 300,000. This latest series of remote community dialogues has so far engaged with over 2,100 people – 48% women and 26% youth. Participants are drawn from across Bougainville society.

Participants from Eivo-Torau, in Central Bougainville, noted, “the dialogues helped to develop greater knowledge and understanding of the transition process.” Participants from Selau-Suir District, in North Bougainville, say they, “value the dialogues as an opportunity to voice their thoughts and ideas to the Government.”

At Torokina on the west coast, a participant said, “this dialogue work should continue because it is helping to make information available,” and “it is good to hear the Government has been working after the Referendum … we need more dialogues.”

Questions and comments raised by participants are documented by facilitators and shared with both Autonomous Bougainville Government and the National Government, the United Nations, churches, and international stakeholders in the peace process. Community feedback is used by both Governments to create awareness materials, to inform key messages and consultation discussions.

The next stage of the Dialogues will include more communities and cover all 33 constituencies in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. They will provide updates from the recent Joint Post-Referendum Consultations, held in Kokopo on 18-19 May 2021, between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and Government of Papua New Guinea.

Since the start of the Dialogues, and before the referendum in 2019, the Sustaining Peace in Bougainville Project reached 27,800 Bougainvilleans – of which nearly 50% were women and 30% young people. It has demonstrated that public forums, facilitated by local Bougainvilleans, are an effective and practical way to engage communities at the grassroots level.

The Peace and Conflict Studies Institute Australia works with local partners in Bougainville - the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Bougainville Christian Churches Association, and civil society, to engage rural Bougainvilleans in dialogues on the post-referendum transition process.

The Bridging Dialogues and Bougainville Transition Dialogues are made possible through the Joint UN Sustaining Peace in Bougainville Project, funded by UN Peacebuilding Fund and implemented by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).