Foreign Policy Begins at Home: Students Analyse PNG’s Domestic Challenges and External Relations
By Bernard Yegiora
On Friday, 17 July 2026, students in PG428 Foreign Policy in PNG participated in the Week 3 Q&A activity on Foreign Policy as an Extension of Domestic Policy.
The activity required students to examine how PNG’s domestic challenges shape its foreign policy priorities, external partnerships, and implementation capacity under the Foreign Policy White Paper 2025.
The main inquiry question was:
How does one domestic policy challenge shape PNG’s foreign policy under the Foreign Policy White Paper 2025?
The seven permanent groups examined different domestic policy areas and presented their findings to the class.
National Security and Border Security
Group 1 examined national security and border security. The group identified weak coordination among government agencies, limited security capabilities, border-management weaknesses, and non-traditional security threats as major domestic challenges.
These challenges influence PNG’s foreign policy by encouraging stronger security cooperation with countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and neighbouring states.
The group recommended improving coordination among government agencies and strengthening PNG’s national security institutions and capabilities. The subsequent discussion considered how PNG could improve inter-agency coordination and strengthen border and maritime security while maintaining constructive relations with neighbouring countries.
Economic Development and Trade
Group 2 analysed economic development and trade. The group identified limited economic diversification, high unemployment, and PNG’s dependence on extractive industries as major domestic challenges.
These issues shape PNG’s foreign policy by increasing the importance of economic diplomacy, trade partnerships, foreign investment, market access, and development cooperation. Australia and China were identified as important economic partners.
The group recommended stronger coordination between government agencies and the private sector. However, the discussion questioned whether improved coordination alone would reduce unemployment or whether deeper economic and structural policy reforms would also be required.
Infrastructure Development
Group 3 focused on infrastructure development, particularly road connectivity. The group argued that PNG’s infrastructure deficiencies influence foreign policy because the country must seek financing, technical assistance, construction partnerships, and development support from external partners such as China and Australia.
Weak institutional capacity, poor coordination, inadequate maintenance funding, and bureaucratic delays were identified as major implementation barriers.
The group recommended strengthening the Connect PNG initiative through a coordinated foreign policy strategy that combines infrastructure financing with local skills development between 2028 and 2030.
The class discussion also highlighted the importance of maritime transportation. As an archipelagic and maritime country, PNG’s infrastructure planning should not focus exclusively on roads. Ferries, barges, ports, and inter-provincial sea transportation are also necessary for national connectivity.
Students further raised questions about donor dependence, customary landowner consultation, project sustainability, and inadequate infrastructure maintenance.
Human Capital Development, Education, and Skills
Group 4 examined human capital development, education, and skills. The group explained that PNG’s domestic education and employment challenges influence foreign policy by encouraging international partnerships involving scholarships, technical training, academic exchanges, and labour mobility programs.
Weak institutional capacity and poor coordination among government agencies were identified as major implementation barriers.
The group recommended establishing a national framework to coordinate international education, scholarship, training, and skills-development opportunities.
The discussion also considered how programs such as the Schools of Excellence Policy, STEM scholarships, overseas scholarships, technical training, and labour mobility arrangements could be better coordinated to support PNG’s long-term workforce and development priorities.
Law and Order and Internal Stability
Group 5 analysed law and order and internal stability. The group identified weak institutions as a major domestic policy challenge.
Weak law-enforcement institutions create a higher-risk environment for international cooperation and investment. They can reduce investor confidence, weaken trust among international partners, and damage PNG’s external reputation.
Australia, Indonesia, and the United States were identified as relevant partners. Weak inter-agency coordination and limited institutional capacity were identified as the main implementation barriers.
The discussion emphasised that PNG already has many laws and policies. The persistent problem is often weak implementation within the public service and security sector.
Students also considered whether PNG’s international security partnerships are primarily intended to maintain peace and stability or to create conditions for economic growth. The discussion suggested that these objectives are closely connected.
Service Delivery, Health, and Development Cooperation
Group 6 examined service delivery, health, and development cooperation. The group identified rural service-delivery bottlenecks, health-sector shortages, limited educational resources, and fragmented foreign assistance as major domestic challenges.
These weaknesses influence PNG’s engagement with Australia, Japan, international organisations, non-government organisations, and other development partners.
The group proposed introducing a fast-track delivery mechanism to reduce bureaucratic delays and improve the delivery of development assistance to communities.
The discussion also considered whether PNG could make greater use of international organisations and NGOs to improve educational resources and rural service delivery. However, participants recognised that any fast-track mechanism would still require transparency, accountability, monitoring, and coordination with responsible government agencies.
Sovereignty, National Unity, and Strategic Partnerships
Group 7 examined sovereignty, national unity, security capabilities, unregulated fishing, and strategic partnerships.
The group discussed how PNG should manage its relationships with Australia and China in an increasingly competitive regional environment. It recommended maintaining constructive relations with both countries rather than treating one exclusively as a security partner and the other exclusively as an economic partner.
This reflected the broader challenge of ensuring that international partnerships serve PNG’s national interest without creating excessive dependence or strategic imbalance.
The discussion also considered whether particular bilateral agreements primarily serve economic, diplomatic, social, or strategic purposes. Students recognised that many bilateral initiatives have overlapping objectives and should be assessed according to their contribution to PNG’s domestic priorities.
Common Findings
Despite examining different policy areas, the seven groups identified several recurring problems:
- weak institutional capacity;
- poor inter-agency coordination;
- bureaucratic delays;
- limited financial and technical resources;
- fragmented implementation;
- dependence on development partners;
- weak alignment between foreign policy and national development planning; and
- inadequate monitoring of policy outcomes.
The presentations demonstrated that PNG’s foreign policy cannot be understood solely by examining international relations. Domestic institutions determine whether PNG can define its national interests, negotiate effectively, coordinate external assistance, and convert foreign partnerships into practical outcomes.
The Department of Foreign Affairs cannot implement foreign policy alone. Effective implementation requires cooperation among government departments, security agencies, provincial authorities, development institutions, the private sector, political leaders, and international partners.
Foreign Policy Begins at Home
The central lesson from the group presentations was that foreign policy begins at home.
PNG’s domestic challenges influence the partners it engages, the assistance it seeks, and the priorities it pursues internationally. At the same time, weak domestic institutions can prevent international partnerships from producing meaningful national outcomes.
The Foreign Policy White Paper 2025 provides an important framework for PNG’s international engagement. Its effectiveness, however, will depend on whether PNG can align foreign policy with domestic development priorities, strengthen institutional coordination, improve implementation capacity, and consistently protect the national interest.
The recording of the Q&A activity is available here:
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