Thursday 21st May, 2026
Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Hon. Peter Tsiamalili Jr, has called for an immediate refresh of PNG–Australia cyber cooperation, emphasizing the need to align longstanding arrangements with the country’s emerging sovereign digital priorities.
Minister Tsiamalili released a statement today, after engagements in Canberra with Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technologies, Mrs Jessica Hunter, and senior executives of the Australian Cyber Security Centre, stating that discussions focused on shared concerns in cyber security and artificial intelligence, and the future direction of bilateral cooperation.
“Under the longstanding 2018 Memorandum of Understanding on Cyber Cooperation, Papua New Guinea has continued to benefit from a number of important cyber capability and digital resilience initiatives,” the Minister said.
“Since assuming the ICT portfolio in May 2026, I have expedited several priority areas of cooperation, including K5 million support toward SevisDEX, K4.5 million in regional support for Protective DNS with initial piloting in PNG, adoption of Shared Principles on Digital and AI Technologies, hosting of Pacific Cyber Week in Port Moresby in July 2026, and continued cooperation under the Pacific Cyber RAPID Program.”
He further highlighted the joint initiative with Deputy Prime Minister Hon. John Rosso to establish the National Digital Blueprint, which will serve as PNG’s long-term master plan for strategic digital infrastructure and connectivity investment beyond 2026.
“The vision is to deliver meaningful connectivity and trusted digital services to 100 percent of our people,” Tsiamalili said.
In light of these developments, the Minister stressed the need for a comprehensive review and modernisation of PNG–Australia cyber cooperation arrangements.
“I explicitly called for a comprehensive review and modernisation of PNG–Australia cyber cooperation arrangements to ensure they align not only with Papua New Guinea’s current digital transformation priorities, but also with the broader strategic objectives of the PukPuk Connectivity Initiative, the PNG–Australia Bilateral Security Agreement, and Papua New Guinea’s emerging sovereign digital capability agenda,” he said.
Minister Tsiamalili confirmed he has requested that discussions commence toward a revised and expanded PNG–Australia Cyber Cooperation Framework, to be progressed at the upcoming PNG–Australia Ministerial Forum.
“As Papua New Guinea advances toward a modern digital economy, our partnership with Australia must evolve beyond traditional cyber cooperation into a broader strategic framework covering trusted digital infrastructure, AI governance, protection of critical digital infrastructure, sovereign cyber capability development, secure government systems, and regional digital resilience,” he said.
He reaffirmed the Marape–Rosso Government’s commitment to building a secure, connected, and digitally empowered nation.
“The Marape–Rosso Government remains committed to building a secure, connected, and digitally empowered Papua New Guinea through trusted regional partnerships and strategic investment in sovereign digital capability.”