The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Civil Society Partnership Days brought together the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Government of Papua New Guinea, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to strengthen collaboration through dialogue and training. Hosted for the first time by ADB in PNG, the event aligned with the ADB Civil Society Approach: An Operational Approach to Enhanced Engagement, 2025–2030 and the Strategy 2030 Midterm Review strategic focus area of resilience and empowerment. 

In his opening remarks, Said Zaidansyah, ADB Country Director for PNG, highlighted the crucial role of civil society in improving the effectiveness and sustainability of development outcomes. He noted that CSO engagement helps bring community voices into projects, strengthens accountability, and ensures that policies reflect the real needs of Papua New Guineans, especially in remote communities. 

Participants explored how CSOs contribute to service delivery, policy engagement, and advocacy in PNG, while also discussing ongoing challenges such as limited funding opportunities, capacity constraints, and coordination gaps. 

Day 1 

Discussions explored how civil society perspectives could be more meaningfully integrated into ADB programming and project design, particularly in sectors of agriculture, education, health, energy, water, transport, and cross cutting themes such as gender and climate. Discussion and recommendations from these breakout groups included: 

• Increasing accessible and flexible funding for farmers and communities.
• Holding regular joint planning and consultation sessions.
• Developing a nationwide civil society mapping.
• Enhancing information sharing on procurement and partnership opportunities.
• Strengthening CSO engagement in project design and feasibility studies. 

A second breakout session in the afternoon, examined “Enabling Conditions for Improved Partnerships”, and these groups focused on key questions 

• Critical factors for effective CSO engagement
• Barriers and practical solutions
• Capacity development and institutional support needs and
• What meaningful partnerships look like among CSOs, government, and ADB. 

The day concluded with a panel discussion on “Transforming Governance through Partnerships,” co-hosted with the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Panelists emphasized the importance of inclusive co-creation, transparency, and collaborative accountability in advancing national development priorities. 

Day 2 

 The second day focused on equipping CSOs with tools to more effectively participate in ADB-supported programs. Sessions included: 

• An overview of ADB’s project pipeline in PNG
• Guidance on procurement processes and consulting opportunities
• A hands-on clinic to assist organizations with registration in ADB’s Consultant Management System (CMS).

This is the third ADB Civil Society Partnership Days. Previous events were held in Mongolia and Bhutan in 2024 and 2023, respectively. These events focus on strengthening collaboration, sharing knowledge, and building practical skills for CSOs to engage more effectively in ADB operations. 

Access the presentations and other learning resources here.