Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

Speech 080708 Beon Prison

 

Official Opening of new facilities at Beon Prison

8th July, 2008; Beon Prison, Madang, Papua New Guinea

Speech by Australian High Commissioner His Excellency Mr. Chris Moraitis

 

Minister for Correctional Services, Hon Tony Aimo; Governor of Madang, Hon Sir Arnold Amet; Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Richard Sikani and other heads of law and justice agencies; Law and justice agency representatives; Provincial government officials; Correctional Services staff; Ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning and thank you for the warm welcome.
I am very pleased to be here again in Madang and to see first hand this impressive prison facility.

It was only in April, that Minister Aimo and Australia’s Foreign Minister Stephen Smith visited Beon Prison to open the women’s compound, now less than two months later the remainder of the buildings are complete, and what we stand before today is a milestone for Papua New Guinea’s Law and justice sector as well as for the people of this province.

What you have done here is more than just upgrade a prison facility.
Facilities like Beon are a strong symbol of the rule of law in a country and having a strong rule of law has many flow on effects way beyond dealing with criminals.
The rule of law and the justice system is fundamental to the economic and social development of a country as well as to its democratic system of government.
Law and order is vital in allowing people to feel free to go about their daily lives without fear – to allow people to go to the market, run their businesses, take their children to school and to the clinic. Without this basic human security, development becomes impossible.

Law, order, democracy and development – these are fundamental goals which Australia is proud to support.

Australia’s support recognises that systems of law and justice can only be effective if all relevant agencies and groups work together. A coordinated law and justice sector, with governments and donors working towards the same goals and objectives, will continue to deliver the outcomes that the people of PNG need and want.

This upgraded prison facility is also an important symbol of the joint commitment between the governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia to strengthening the delivery of law and justice services in PNG.

The focus for prisons in PNG, like so many countries, is to provide secure and humane conditions. And while this is a simple and logical sentiment we all know how difficult this can be.

Managing a prison is a challenging job. It needs to be done well. Prisons are tough places.

Not only must prisoners be held securely, at the same time efforts must be made to provide opportunities for them to become useful citizens when they are released. The fair and humane treatment of prisoners is an important and fundamental human right.

Features of the prison facility

Beon will house up to 350 inmates – 300 men and 50 women.
The upgrade includes new male and female dormitories, an exercise area, a kitchen and dining room, a visitor’s area, doctor’s facilities, and a secure detainee drop-off area.

There are also specific facilities for mothers with babies.

These upgrades will ensure that Beon is the benchmark against which many other prisons in PNG will measure themselves.

Australian government aid

The Australian Government has been working in partnership with PNG Correctional Services since 1992 to enhance the capacity and management of PNG’s prison system.

Since the inception of this partnership Australia has provided approximately K175 million (kina) to Correctional Services to build its capacity to effectively manage and maintain its prisons through improved organisational structures and processes, infrastructure upgrades and support for programs to improve prison and prisoner productivity, prisoner welfare and rehabilitation.

Under the current Law and Justice Sector Program, Australia provides over K80 million each year to law and justice agencies – Correctional Services, the Department of Justice and Attorney General, the district and national courts, Public Solicitor, Public Prosecutor, the Royal PNG Constabulary, and the Ombudsman Commission.

This assistance is designed to support the PNG Law and Justice Sector to achieve its goal of a ‘just, safe and secure society for all’.

The sector has a clear vision, it has prioritised goals and objectives and it has strong coordination mechanisms. The challenge now is to translate this into real and tangible outcomes on the ground in terms of improved service delivery for the people of Papua New Guinea.

Australia is a dedicated and long-term partner in this and is committed to working side-by-side to assist the law and justice sector here to achieve its goals. The upgraded facilities here at Beon is a good example of that partnership at work.

The principles of consultation and cooperation are the bedrock on which Australia’s effective cooperation with the government of PNG is built, across every area of our bilateral relationship.

Gender

It is vital for the effective functioning of the law and justice sector in PNG, as in other countries, that men and women are treated equally by the system whether as plaintiffs or defendants, victims or offenders, employees or prisoners.

It is therefore significant that we are here today to open the new female dormitory which will provide a safe and humane living environment for female detainees at Beon.

An important focus for Australia’s development program in PNG is to increase women’s access to the justice system and ensure that women’s needs are recognised at all points where the justice system touches their lives.

Empowering women and achieving equal rights for men and women are important principles of Australia’s aid program. We are determined to work with the government of PNG to improve both the reality and the public perception of the justice system as one which will deliver fair outcomes regardless of gender.

I understand that progress towards gender equality is being made throughout the sector through gender awareness programs for staff and through the development of equal employment opportunity policies that are contributing to more gender equitable workplaces.

I welcome the increase in the appointment of female officers to managerial roles in Correctional Services.

I urge you to continue working towards gender equity because not only is equality between women and men fair and right, but we also know that it is a powerful development tool in bringing about prosperity and well-being for everybody.

HIV and AIDS

Another serious challenge for development is HIV-AIDS. As we all know HIV-AIDS is a global problem. In the Asia-Pacific region HIV-AIDS is having an unprecedented impact and is one of the greatest threats to economic and social development.

The impact of HIV-AIDS is not uniform across countries nor within societies, but wherever it strikes, HIV affects individuals, communities and sectors, relentlessly eroding human capacity, productivity and prospects.

Responding to the HIV-AIDS epidemic in PNG requires everyone to understand how HIV and AIDS are affecting PNG’s business and economic growth and how they contribute to poverty.

We must all bear our share of the responsibility of facing up to the challenges posed by this epidemic. In government, changes at an organisational level are needed to respond to factors that are likely to increase vulnerability to HIV infection for sector staff, immediate family members and their communities, and clients of the sector.

Correctional Services has a key role to play. Effective control of HIV and AIDS is a problem increasingly confronted by prison administrators all over the world. In the prison environment people are at increased risk of HIV and AIDS and their consequences. Changes in attitudes and high risk behaviours are needed.

I want to emphasise that this is important work and must be a priority. I understand that Correctional Services has developed a policy on HIV and AIDS and is progressing important initiatives to address the issue.

I applaud PNG Correctional Services for this action and encourage them and other law and justice agencies to continue on with this good work.

Conclusion

The work of the law and justice sector is challenging and change is often difficult, especially if it is to be meaningful and sustained. It requires a high level of commitment and professionalism. I would like to commend the work being done by all agencies in the law and justice sector.

I would like to again congratulate the Minister, Commissioner and staff of Correctional Services, the Governor and the Madang Provincial Authorities, other law and justice sector staff, community leaders, and all those who contributed to the excellent work done to upgrade this facility.

Thank you.