9th Biennial Provincial Disaster Coordinator’s conference marks 50 years of disaster coordination in Papua New Guinea

The National Disaster Centre (NDC), under the Ministry of Defence, has officially convened the 9th Provincial Disaster Coordinators’ (PDC) Conference, this week in Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands Province from 17–21 November 2025.

November 19, 2025

Over 100 stakeholders participated in the conference in Mt. Hagen

UNDP Papua New Guinea/Clive Hawigen

The 2025 conference themed “50 years on: Reset, Realign, Resource and Respond – Building Resilient Communities Together,” co-sponsored by the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Government of Australia, and supported by the United Nations through UNDP and IOM, marks a significant milestone— 50 years of disaster management coordination in Papua New Guinea. It comes at a time when the country continues to experience increasing climate-driven hazards, geological events, and severe weather patterns that impact communities and development priorities.

Over a hundred delegates,including provincial administrators and disaster coordinators, NDC senior management, the United Nations system, bilateral and humanitarian partners, and international NGOs, have gathered in Mt. Hagen to reflect on progress, enhance collaboration, and strengthen the nation’s disaster management systems.

Secretary for Defence and Chairman of NDC, Mr. Hari John Akipe, acknowledged the hard work provincial disaster coordinators and their teams across the country carry out despite limited resources and challenging conditions.

Secretary for Defence and Chairman of NDC, Mr. Hari John Akipe, stressed the responsibility to protect communities from rising disaster risks.

UNDP Papua New Guinea/Clive Hawigen

“The government recognizes and deeply appreciates your unwavering service. It is time to take stock and move forward with purpose. As we mark 50 years of disaster coordination in PNG, this conference provides a defining opportunity to strengthen our systems, empower our provinces, and reaffirm our collective responsibility to protect communities from rising disaster risks,” said Secretary Akipe.

Mr. Akipe also expressed profound appreciation to the Australian Government, the United Nations agencies and other partners for their longstanding support to disaster preparedness and emergency response in PNG.

United Nations Resident Coordinator, Dr. Richard Howard congratulated the Government of PNG and the National Disaster Centre for organizing the conference, adding that it is a sign of the government’s commitment to enhanced disaster management.

UN Resident Coordinator, Dr. Richard Howard (left), and Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre Mr. Lusete Laso Mana (right), both attended the conference.

UNDP Papua New Guinea/Clive Hawigen

“The United Nations remains a key partner to the Government’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms through numerous areas of work at both the national and subnational levels. Supported by the UN Humanitarian Advisory Team, the Disaster Management Team and its members, which include UN agencies and NGOs, work daily with the NDC and regularly deploy human and material resources to support NDC-led responses across the country,” said Dr. Howard.

Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre, Mr. Lusete Laso Mana acknowledged the participants, noting that their presence signifies a shared commitment to strengthening PNG’s disaster resilience and ensuring that no community is left behind when disaster strikes.

“Our success depends on partnership - between national and provincial governments, the private sector, churches, civil society, and development partners. We particularly acknowledge the Australian Government, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, United Nations Development Programme, International Organization for Migration and other partners for their sustained support to disaster risk reduction, emergency operations, logistics, training, and capacity building. Their contribution is vital as we work toward a more integrated and responsive national disaster management system,” said Mr. Mana.

The participants engaged in lively discussion about the most pressing challenges facing the humanitarian sector in Papua New Guinea.

UNDP Papua New Guinea/Clive Hawigen

The conference aims to achieve three key objectives:

Knowledge and Experience Sharing: Exchanging lessons learned and best practices in preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience-building across provinces.
Review and Realignment of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Frameworks: Assessing existing institutional structures and resourcing gaps to address emerging risks and evolving realities.
Policy and Strategy Recommendations: Developing actionable, evidence-based recommendations to strengthen stakeholder roles, coordination mechanisms, and national disaster governance.

The conference is expected to deliver strengthened collaboration between national and provincial authorities, with clearer roles and responsibilities that support more effective disaster management. It should also result in deeper engagement with the NEMA Review Committee so that provincial perspectives genuinely influence the future direction of PNG’s disaster risk management system. In addition, national and provincial governments are anticipated to commit to improving the financing, staffing, and technical capacities of the National Disaster Centre and Provincial Disaster Offices. Finally, the conference will produce a Communiqué that consolidates the key resolutions, recommendations, and agreed next steps for strengthening disaster risk management in Papua New Guinea.