PORT MORESBY, 18 FEBRUARY 2021 – IT equipment worth approximately K135,000 were handed over to the Department of Justice & Attorney General (DJAG) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today.

The much needed equipment will be provided to Provincial Liaison Officers in 20 provinces and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to support coordination between 15 law and justice agencies. The combined impact reaches approximately 8 million people across Papua New Guinea where the Department of Justice and its agencies provide justice services.

The occasion was witnessed by the Attorney-General and Secretary for Justice and Attorney-General, Dr Eric Kwa, and his staff including and representative of the Department of Prime Minister & NEC and Office of the Public Prosecutor. UNDP Papua New Guinea Resident Representative, Mr. Dirk Wagener and Assistant Resident Representative, Ms. Julie Bukikun were present to handover the equipment.

On presenting the equipment to the DJAG, UNDP Papua New Guinea Resident Representative, Mr. Dirk Wagener said DJAG is an important partner in their delivery of law and justice services to the people of Papua New Guinea.

“Papua New Guinea was fortunate to access US$ 250,000 during a difficult period to support efforts on gender-based violence prevention and law and order. Other support we are providing through the same facility is to the Police Family and Sexual Violence Unit where an electronic information system is being developed to assist them register, monitor cases and provision of two container offices to the Sexual Offences Squad. UNDP was also a key contributor to the first National Gender-based Violence Summit in November 2020 as part of the UN’s Spotlight Initiative”.

“My appeal is that while all law and order issues are important and must be given attention, please ensure addressing gender-based violence and protecting and uploading the rights of vulnerable and marginalized groups remain a priority.”

Attorney- General and Secretary for Justice and Attorney-General, Dr Eric Kwa, thanked UNDP for donating the equipment. “We are very grateful. This equipment will greatly enhance our ability to coordinate, assist and support our partners for better delivery of justice services,” he said.

“My department coordinates 15 law and justice sector agencies and administer more then 20 key pieces of law and regulations. When there is an effective coordination mechanism in place, law and justice services including addressing gender-based violence are effectively implemented and monitored”.

This support was made possible through the UNDP Rapid Response Facility, a global response mechanism that was setup in 2020 supporting countries facing risks of increased incidents of gender-based violence during COVID-19 related lockdowns and restrictions.