The Australia-Papua New Guinea Emerging Leaders Dialogue, the annual flagship event of the Lowy Institute’s Australia-PNG Network concluded today Friday 11 October, in Australia.
This year’s theme for the weeklong dialogue focused on youth and the power of young people in forging stronger Australia-PNG ties. The event brought together outstanding emerging leaders from both Papua New Guinea and Australia to build and deepen connections and understanding that will underpin people-to-people relationships for generations to come.
The dialogue was structured as a series of facilitated roundtable discussions, with each participant encouraged to contribute their professional expertise and personal perspectives. The program included exchanges with experts, dialogues with leading academics and policymakers, opportunities for networking, site visits, and interactive learning activities over five days.
According to Aus-PNG Network Program Director Dr Jessica Collins, the purpose of the dialogue is to both connect participants and influence stakeholders.
“The event brings together outstanding emerging leaders from both Papua New Guinea and Australia to build and deepen connections and understanding,” said Dr Collins.
“The open, wide-ranging format of the Dialogue is also an opportunity for participants to engage with their peers and to generate ideas that can influence the leaders of both countries.”
The first Australia-Papua New Guinea Emerging Leaders Dialogue was held in 2013 at the initiative of the Lowy Institute and with the support of the Foreign Ministers of both Papua New Guinea and Australia. It was held with the goal of connecting a new generation of young leaders and providing their perspectives and insights to the ministers.
The success of that first event led to the establishment of the Aus-PNG Network, which continues to host the Dialogue and other events throughout the year to build people-to-people links between PNG and Australia. Participants in the Dialogue now number more than 120, and they are central to the success of the Aus-PNG Network in building contemporary links between business, government and community in our two countries.
2024 Australia-Papua New Guinea Emerging Leaders Dialogue participants will present their ideas to both the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments in the form of an Outcomes Report to inform and influence policymakers in both countries.
More information: https://auspng.lowyinstitute.org/emerging-leaders
2024 ELD Participants.
For further information, including access to related materials, please contact the Australian High Commission media team: +675 7090 0100