The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) is finalising a review of its Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Policy, signalling a renewed commitment to improving discipline, leadership accountability and professional standards within the police force.
The policy was first introduced in 2019 to promote fairness, respect and equal opportunity within the organisation, while also guiding how officers interact with communities. However, limited implementation, competing operational priorities and lack of sustained funding meant the policy was not widely applied in daily policing.
Police leadership says the current review aims to ensure the policy reflects the realities of policing in Papua New Guinea and supports officers to meet expected professional standards.
Assistant Commissioner of Police for Administration and Human Resources, Gaiwary Tinga, said the review is an important step in strengthening discipline and professionalism across the force.
“We cannot expect strong discipline and ethical behaviour from our officers if our standards are unclear or inconsistently applied,” ACP Tinga said.
He said GESI is not simply a concept but relates directly to how officers treat each other, how leaders guide their teams, and how police conduct themselves while exercising authority.
The policy focuses on workplace behaviour, leadership responsibility and accountability, including respectful engagement, fair decision-making and increasing the participation and advancement of women within the constabulary.
During the first phase of the review in 2025, the GESI Review Committee decided that a new Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Policy would be developed.
Senior officers involved in the review say the policy is particularly important at a time when policing in PNG faces growing public scrutiny, with communities expecting officers to act fairly, respectfully and professionally.
They also noted that officers themselves are calling for safer and more respectful workplaces free from harassment, abuse and favouritism.
Consultations and workshops were conducted across divisions and commands to gather feedback from police officers and civilian staff. The second phase of the review took place from March 10 to 13, 2026.
For many participants, the consultations provided their first opportunity to openly discuss issues such as workplace respect, leadership behaviour, safety and fairness.
Feedback gathered during the consultations helped identify gaps in awareness, training, supervision and enforcement that limited the impact of the 2019 policy.
Police leadership acknowledged that the earlier policy lacked proper follow-through with limited training, monitoring and accountability mechanisms after its launch.
The revised approach will include stronger leadership accountability, targeted training and monitoring systems to ensure the policy supports operational policing.
Once finalised, the updated GESI Policy is expected to guide recruitment, training, promotion, supervision and disciplinary processes across the constabulary.
ACP Tinga said strengthening the policy is part of a broader effort to improve police culture and build public trust.
“This is about building a police service our officers respect and our communities can trust,” he said.
Technical and financial support for the GESI Policy review is being provided through the EU–PNG Partnership for Good Governance (P4GG) project, which aims to support more transparent, inclusive and accountable management and recruitment systems within the constabulary.
