Papua New Guinea’s Diplomacy in Managing Neighbourly Cooperation: A Personal Reflection

Abstract

Papua New Guinea’s foreign policy since independence from Australia 50 years ago evolved from ‘universalism: friends to all and enemies to none’, to ‘active and selective engagement’, in its first Foreign Policy White Paper (FPWP) in 1982, reflecting PNG’s strategic position as a bridge between Asia and the Pacific. In 2017 the government initiated a review of its foreign policy and endorsed the theme ‘Connecting for peace and prosperity in a changing world’ (DFA 2017). PNG will launch its second white paper on foreign policy in 2025. This In Brief proposes small state diplomacy — focused on how small states can effectively respond to and influence international affairs and contribute to global stability and development — as a broad framework for analysing PNG’s subregional cooperation. PNG’s small state approach to diplomacy is shaped by its geographic location, colonial history, limited resources and diplomatic leverage, and the need to balance bilateral relations with broader regional interests.