Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA)

Prime Minister James Marape outlined this during a breakfast session with the Lae business community on Thursday, May 25^th.

During that time, he gave a brief overview of his visit to the University of Technology the previous evening to address concerns regarding the PNG-US Defence Cooperation Agreement.

PNGTUC Secretary General, Anthon Sekum said they are not entirely against the DCA.

“It is the processes our government followed and the motivation behind fast tracking the processes with zero public consultation and Parliament debate opens up public debate to all sorts of conclusions,” Sekum said. “Any agreement that will have elements of intrusion into our sovereignty and may put the country in harm’s way must not be done without all citizens' consent.”

Yesterday evening US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and PNG’s Minister for Defence Win Daki put pen to paper, giving way to the US to increase military presence in the country and the Pacific, as China and the US compete for influence in the region.

Prime Minister James Marape assured Papua New Guineans that all aspects of the DCA will be made available to the public through a Parliamentary Statement that he will make.

And he has assured Papua New Guineans that all aspects of the DCA will be made available to the public through a Parliamentary Statement that he will make.

“I am working to release the agreement for public knowledge, and on Thursday this week we will send the State Solicitor and Foreign Affairs and Defence Secretaries, to go through the DCA with students and interest groups to ensure they are informed correctly.”