Port Moresby, PNG — A recent training workshop has equipped civil society organizations with enhanced skills in advocacy, monitoring, and stakeholder engagement, strengthening their capacity to participate effectively in PNG’s resource governance landscape. The day-long event brought together representatives from NGOs, community groups, and student networks to learn about transparency standards, data collection, rights-based reform, and how to sustain momentum for accountable governance in the extractive sector.

Participants engaged in hands-on sessions on how to interpret mining and revenue data, assess environmental and social impacts, and design evidence-based advocacy campaigns. Workshops also covered ethical engagement, conflict-sensitive communication, and methods for secure, constructive collaboration with government agencies, industry players, and local communities. Participants reported feeling more confident in framing local concerns, documenting questions, and presenting policy recommendations in formal settings.

Speakers highlighted the importance of inclusive participation, noting that women, youth, Indigenous groups, and people with disabilities must be represented in oversight processes and decision-making. The training emphasized practical tools, such as open data literacy, risk assessment templates, and grievance mechanism design, to help civil society monitor project impacts, ensure accountability, and amplify community voices.

Organizers underscored that the goal is not to oppose development but to ensure mining and petroleum projects deliver tangible, equitable benefits while safeguarding environmental health and cultural integrity. Post-workshop plans include a series of follow-up sessions, regional outreach, and the establishment of a peer-support network to sustain knowledge sharing and collective action across PNG’s resource sectors.