Envoys briefed on referendum

Heads and representatives of foreign missions in PNG have been briefed by the Bougainville Referendum Transitional Committee (BRTC) on the progress of work in preparation for next year’s referendum.
Foreign missions represented in the briefing on March 27 included the New Zealand High Commission, British High Commission, Australian High Commission, Japanese Embassy, the Philippines Embassy, Solomon Islands High Commission, European Union and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Chief Secretary for Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Joseph Nobetau, who is a member of BRTC, attended the briefing.
PNG Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato and Bougainville Electoral Commissioner George Manu conducted the briefing at the PNGEC headquarters in Port Moresby as co-chairs of the BRTC.
“We (BRTC) see this dialogue with foreign missions as important because it gives high commissioners and ambassadors an update on the work done for the Bougainville referendum (in June 2019),” Gamato said.