The PNG National Research Institute (PNG NRI) will host a seminar on the challenges of state fragility and lessons learned.
State fragility refers to fragile states having characteristics that substantially impair their economic and social performance. These include weak governance, limited administrative capacity, chronic humanitarian crises, persistent social tensions, and often, violence or the legacy of armed conflict and civil war.
The seminar will be presented by a visiting academic from the Australian National University (ANU) Dr Nematullah Bizhan. Dr Bizhan is a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Development Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University.
He is also a Senior Research Associate with the Global Economic Governance Program at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University and is also a visiting lecturer at the School of Business and Public Policy at the University of PNG.
The presentation will be comparing the challenges of state fragility and lessons learned from Afghanistan, Burundi, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sierra Leon, PNG and Rwanda.
The seminar will discuss key questions on the nature of state fragility, policies used to mitigate it, assessment of outcomes and prospects. It will also discuss the thirteen lessons for reducing state fragility.
Government Departments and agencies such as Department of Prime Minister and NEC; Department of National Planning; Department of Personnel Management; Department of Finance; Department of Provincial and Local Level Government; Civil and Identity Registry; National Statistics Office; PNG Royal Constabulary; PNG Defence Force; and PNG Correctional Service, have been invited to attend and be part of the discussions. The media are also invited to cover and report on the event.
PNG NRI is optimistic that the seminar will contribute to discussing ideas and effective strategies to mitigate state fragility and prospects of improving governance.