S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSALS - PAPUA NEW GUINEA

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 SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAM Papua New Guinea currently has out of date pre independence Family legislation which was adopted from Australia and no longer serves the needs of its families, particularly women and children, hence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) PORT MORES 00000027 003 OF 004 $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