The launch of the Bougainville Digital Democracy Project is about empowering our citizens, said Bougainville President Ishamel Toroama. 25 March 2025 Photo: Autonomous Bougainville Government
Talks between Papua New Guinea and Bougainville to decide on issues surrounding an independence referendum are to be held at Burnham military camp near Christchurch, New Zealand, next week.
The moderator in the talks is former New Zealand governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae, who sought to have the discussion at Burnham where critical talks in 1997 helped end the Bougainville civil war.
The Burnham consultations will be conducted by Sir Jerry with the support of United Nations officials.
The New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, said his government's involvement is to provide the venue and environment necessary for substantive discussions on Bougainville's political future.
It is the third round of talks to try and resolve how the 2019 referendum results are tabled in the PNG parliament.
The Bougainville government is strongly in support of independence from PNG and expects to achieve that status by 2027.
Peters said reaching a mutually agreed outcome is important for Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, and the wider region, "s is upholding the integrity of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, to which New Zealand is a witnessing signatory".
