VZCZCXRO0538
OO RUEHPB
DE RUEHPB #0027/01 0540353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 230353Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5798
INFO RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY IMMEDIATE 3446

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PORT MORESBY 000027 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/GWI AND EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM AID CDC COM TRSY PP
SUBJECT: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSALS - PAPUA NEW GUINEA 
 
REF: STATE 132094, STATE 012531 
 
¶1. Embassy Port Moresby is pleased to submit a proposal received 
from the Coalition for Change Papua New Guinea Inc. -  Family 
Law Review Project as Papua New Guinea's third preference from 
post. 
 
 
 
¶2.  BACKGROUND 
 
Coalition for Change PNG Inc's proposed Family Law Review 
Project will carry on from work previously undertaken by the 
Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee one of the six 
sectoral committees of the Consultative Monitoring and 
Implementation Committee of the Papua New Guinea Institute of 
National Affairs. Due to Coalition for Change PNG Inc's focus on 
advocating for reform of laws for the better protection of the 
rights of women and children particularly in the area of 
violence against women and children, the Family and Sexual 
Violence Action Committee had handed over the continuation of 
its work to Coalition for Change PNG Inc. 
 
 
 
Papua New Guinea's Family Laws deal with various aspects of 
family relationships ranging from marriage and divorce to the 
property rights of married women. Coalition for Change PNG Inc's 
Family Law Review Project under its Law Reform Program will work 
to review and propose amendments to these laws so that the human 
rights of women and children are more adequately protected as 
per its International obligations under the treaties it has 
ratified. 
 
 
 
 
 
¶3.  SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAM 
 
Papua New Guinea currently has out of date pre independence 
Family legislation which was adopted from Australia and no 
longer serves the needs of its families, particularly women and 
children, hence depriving them of their human rights. It is this 
problem that Coalition for Change PNG Inc envisions to address 
under its Family Law Review Project. Papua New Guinea's Family 
Laws are amended to be compliant with International laws and 
accounting for the changed circumstances of Papua New Guinean 
society and its impacts on the human rights of its women and 
children. The main object of the project is for the Papua New 
Guinea Parliament to ensure rights of women and children are 
adequately protected through enacting revised Family Legislation. 
 
 
 
 
 
¶4.  PROJECT DESCRIPTION 
 
       Phases of Project 
 
(A) Phase 1 - April 2010: Hiring of Technical Adviser 
 
The Technical Adviser will be hired on the Terms of Reference of 
the organization for a duration of 18 months to work on the 
project commencing when funding is secured but estimated to 
commence in April 2010; 
 
 
 
(B)  Phase 2 - April 2010 to December 2010: Review of Current 
Status of Family Legislations 
 
7         The Technical Adviser will review the work previously 
undertaken by the Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee 
and present its findings to Coalition for Change PNG Inc's Law 
Reform Program Committee by May 2010; 
 
 
 
7         The Technical Adviser to meet  with relevant 
stakeholders such as Government Departments and Entities, Non 
Government Organizations and Development Partners to see what 
work has already been done towards amending the Family 
Legislations and do research and collate materials on 
publications on the Family Legislations and present its findings 
to Coalition for Change PNG Inc's Law Reform Program Committee 
by September 2010; 
 
 
 
7         Coalition for Change PNG Inc's Law Reform Program 
Committee to review the work presented above by the Technical 
 
PORT MORES 00000027  002 OF 004 
 
 
Adviser and determine what areas under the Family Legislations 
need to be review in a workshop, and identify areas that had had 
work previously done, have reached its final stage. The 
Committee would then report to the Board on its decisions with a 
proposed work plan to move forward and upon approval proceed to 
Phase 3. This task to have been completed by December 2010; 
 
 
 
 
 
(C)  Phase 3 - January 2011 to September 2011: Workshops by 
Technical Adviser 
 
This phase of the project would involve a series of workshops 
with relevant stakeholders in the country to look into 
particular themes under the Family Legislations to determine 
what policy under the Family Legislations would be suitable to 
the circumstances of Papua New Guinea prior to the actual 
drafting of amendments. 
 
 
 
7       Workshop 1: Technical Adviser to host a workshop in 
February 2011 for 3 days on identified themes under the Family 
Legislations in Port Moresby with relevant stakeholders  and 
document the findings and present to the Law Reform Program 
Committee by mid March 2011; 
 
 
 
7         Workshop 2: Technical Adviser to host a workshop in 
May 2011 for 3 days on further identified themes under the 
Family Legislations in Port Moresby with relevant stakeholders 
and document the findings and present to the Law Reform Program 
Committee by mid June 2011; 
 
 
 
7          Workshop 3: Technical Adviser to host a workshop in 
August 2011 for 3 days on any remaining identified themes under 
the Family Legislations in Port Moresby with relevant 
stakeholders and document the findings and present to the Law 
Reform Program Committee by mid September 2011; 
 
 
 
7         Coalition for Change PNG Inc's Law Reform Program 
Committee to review findings of the Technical Adviser and 
present its final report to the CFC Board on outcomes from the 
workshops and recommendations for Phase 4 of the project. 
Entering Phase 4 of the project to work with relevant 
stakeholders to have the necessary amendments made to the Family 
Legislations will be dependent on whether further workshops were 
still required to be carried out. Further funding for this phase 
of the Project would have been secured prior its commencement. 
 
 
 
 
 
(D) Outcome: Ultimate outcome is for the Legislative Council to 
prepare draft amendments to Family Legislation. 
 
 
 
 
 
¶5.  BUDGET 
 
 
 
(A) Technical Adviser's Package 
 
$24,000.00 -  Technical Advisers Fee for 18 months 
 
$16,000.00 - To cover accommodation expenses and transport 
expenses for 18 months 
 
             Total: $40,000.00 
 
 
 
(B)  Workshop expenses (To be attended by approximately 50 
people per day) 
 
$590.00 - Venue Hire per day 
 
$5.00 - Morning Tea per head (x 50) 
 
$20.00 - Lunch per head (x50) 
 
 
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$3.00 - Drinks per head(x50) 
 
$5.00 - Afternoon Tea per head(x50) 
 
$100.00 -  Hire of Overhead projector per day 
 
            Total workshop expense per day - $2,340.00 
 
            Total workshop expense for a full workshop period 
for 3 day period - $7300.00 
 
            Total cost for 3 x workshops held over 3 days each - 
$21,900.00 
 
 
 
Total Budget for Project: $63,000.00 
 
 
 
CFC will provide the following for the Technical Adviser & 
Project: 
 
-Office space for the Technical Adviser; 
 
- Stationery and additional IT Equipment (laptop) for the 
project and workshops; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
¶6.  ORGANIZATION 
 
Coalition for Change PNG Inc is a community based advocacy group 
established in November 2008 to address the issue of violence 
against women and children in Papua New Guinea. Its founding 
members and its current Board are highly qualified women and 
prominent women with many years experience between them in 
professions ranging from Law to Economics and Education. The 
Board is assisted by the Executive Manager who is in charge of 
the daily operations of the office who previously worked as the 
Technical Officer to the Community Based Corrections Office 
(within the Department of Justice & Attorney General) on a 
UNICEF and Papua New Guinea Department of Justice funded project 
on Juvenile Justice. 
 
 
 
CFC's major asset therefore in being able to run the above 
project is its founding members and current Board some of whom 
are voluntarily serving the organization through its Law Reform 
Program Committee. The founding Chairlady is a Senior Partner of 
a reputable law firm in Papua New Guinea and founding members 
who form part of the Law Reform Program's Overseeing Committee 
are qualified lawyers and one of the members was a former 
Departmental Head of a Department of Government. The Executive 
Manager who also has Legal qualifications is part of this 
Committee. 
 
 
 
(A) Focus of the organization 
 
The major focus of the organization is to under its Law Reform 
Program: advocate, facilitate, secure and support legislative 
reform. This is to ensure that individuals affected, impacted 
and suffering gender based violence and children who are abused 
by parental, familial or others' behavior have better assistance 
and protection under the law. 
 
 
 
(B)  Previous experience of the organization in Law Reform Work 
 
In 2009 Coalition for Change PNG Inc contributed towards the 
process of having legislated, 3 Bills recommended by the Papua 
New Guinea Constitutional and Law Reform Commission's Final 
Report on Domestic Violence of 1992, through a National 
Executive Council submission. These were: 
 
A Bill for an Act entitled Arrest (Amendment) Act Chapter 339; 
A Bill for an Act entitled District Court (Amendment Act) 
Chapter 40; 
A Bill for an Act entitled Evidence (Amendment Act) Chapter 48; 
 
 
 
 
PORT MORES 00000027  004 OF 004 
 
 
(C)  Reporting and Accountability for Project 
 
The Technical Adviser will be engaged on a full time basis and 
be responsible for the overall running of the project, whilst 
working out of the Coalition for Change PNG Inc Office. The 
Adviser will be required to report on a monthly basis to the Law 
Reform Program Committee, who will perform the role of providing 
overall oversight and advice for the project. The Committee will 
then be responsible to reporting to the Board on the project's 
progress and where necessary seek Board approval for the 
direction of the project. 
BERG