As Leader of Government Business, Prime Minister James Marape has extended his deepest commendation to the Minister for Community Development, Religion and Youth, Hon. Jason Peter, for his outstanding leadership in introducing and securing the passage of the Persons with Disabilities Bill in the National Parliament.
This milestone legislation arrives at a pivotal moment in Papua New Guinea’s history, as the nation prepares to celebrate its 50th Independence Anniversary. It represents not only a time for reflection on the country’s journey but also a reaffirmation of the shared responsibility to protect the rights and dignity of all citizens—especially the estimated 1.6 million Papua New Guineans living with disabilities.
The enactment of this Bill signals the Government’s clear commitment to inclusion, protection, and empowerment for persons with disabilities. It establishes a legal framework aimed at dismantling both physical and systemic barriers, enabling all individuals to participate fully in social, political, and economic life.
Crucially, the legislation also brings Papua New Guinea into fuller compliance with its international obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ratified by PNG in 2013. The CRPD is a landmark human rights treaty that ensures the full and equal enjoyment of rights by persons with disabilities worldwide.
The Persons with Disabilities Bill directly implements key provisions of the CRPD, including Article 4—which mandates States Parties to adopt legislative and administrative measures for rights implementation—and Articles 5 (Equality and Non-Discrimination) and 9 (Accessibility), which uphold equal access to justice, education, employment, health, and public services.
Through this legislative milestone, Papua New Guinea affirms its position as a nation that respects the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, consistent with universal human rights principles.
This achievement is not merely legislative; it embodies a moral and constitutional commitment to building an inclusive, rights-based, and people-centred development agenda for the next 50 years.
On behalf of the Marape-Rosso Government, Prime Minister Marape congratulated Hon. Jason Peter and commended the Department of Community Development alongside all stakeholders who contributed to the bill’s passage.
The Government reiterates its pledge to ensure that no one is left behind as PNG charts its course toward an equitable and just society.