Thirty-five stakeholders attended a Human Rights Training on Building human rights capacity at the community level last November in Kimbe, West New Britain (WNB) province. The event was collaborated between the Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG), and the Department of Community Development and Religion (DfCDR). The initiative saw the attendance of delegates from the Youth, Youth and the Provincial Community Development Office, Catholic Women’s Group, Council of Women, Village Court Magistrates, Police Family Sexual Violence Unit, Provincial Health Authority, District Administrators and the WNB Provincial Administration. Despite significant legal reforms, communities across Papua New Guinea (PNG) continue to face challenges such as gender-based violence (GBV), sorcery-related violence, and discrimination. Equipping these government officials, civil society representatives, and human rights defenders with knowledge of national and international human rights laws is essential. The four-day training was aimed to: - Enhance understanding of PNG human rights laws and policies. - Understanding overview of international treaties and conventions ratified by PNG. - Equip stakeholders with practical tools to advocate for human rights protection locally. - Promote awareness of the 20 Days of Human Rights Activism. Patricia Gure, DJAG’s Executive Manager for the Human Rights Secretariat, emphasized the importance of stakeholders to obtain effective knowledge to advocate for human rights in their communities. “This training will provide stakeholders with the knowledge to advocate for human rights at the community level and enhance efforts to tackle violence and discrimination,” she said. The EU-PNG Partnership for Good Governance (P4GG) programme who partnered with UN Women prioritize the importance of collaboration and capacity building to strengthen governance and institutional frameworks. These development partners provided technical advisory support to ensure the training was delivered effectively and aligned with PNG’s broader human rights goals. Julian Whayman, P4GG’s Deputy Team Leader, stated that the initiative supports the EUPNG Partnership for Good Governance's mission to build capacity for human rights advocacy and strengthen governance and institutional frameworks in PNG. To address human rights challenges in the country, the training further highlighted the power of a unified approach.