Cairns Commitment on Implementation of the Agreement Concerning the Neutral Regional Truce Monitoring Group for Bougainville

Export agreement:

Export agreement coding (PDF)

Country/entity: Papua New Guinea
Bougainville
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: Cairns Commitment on Implementation of the Agreement Concerning the Neutral Regional Truce Monitoring Group for Bougainville
Date: 24 Nov 1997
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Bougainville Conflict (1987 - 1998)
The conflict on Bougainville, an island under the jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea (PNG), began in 1987 as a dispute over compensation for the use of land by Bougainville Copper Ltd, a an Australian subsidiary. The underlying issue of independence soon emerged and the conflict escalated between the government of PNG and the native islanders, in turn spearheaded by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA). Until fighting ended in 1998, an estimated 20,000 died in the conflict. Several pre-negotiation agreements culminated in an agreement to a ‘permanent and irrevocable’ ceasefire, and a framework for normalizing the PNG-Bourgainville relationship, which included elections.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Bougainville: peace process
Parties: Note: Parties are not listed in agreement, but instead agreement states that the parties are the same as the parties to the Burnham Truce.
National Govt of PNG, Bougainville Transitional Govt, the Resistance, the Bougainville Interim Govt, Bougainville Revolutionary Army
Third parties: -
Description: Agreement establishing Truce Monitoring Group further to Burnham Truce agreement, and Peace Consultative Committee.

Agreement document: PG_971124_Cairns_Commitment on Implementation.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: Page 2,
5. The Peace Consultative Committee may, by unanimous consent of its members, invite representatives of other groups or bodies or person to become members.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1,
1. The bodies and groups represented will:
... (c) ensure that the Truce Monitoring Group issue at all times from attack, interference or hindrance;
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: Page 1,
2. Consistent with the Agreement establishing the Truce Monitoring Group, the parties agree to establish the Peace Consultative Committee provided for in the Agreement in order to facilitate consultation and liaison -
- among themselves;
- through the Truce Steering Committee, including the Commander, with the Truce Monitoring group; and
- at the local level.

Page 2,
3. The parties recognise that the role of the Peace Consultative Committee is to review and assess implementation adherence by the signatories to the Truce. The Peace Consultative Committee will receive regular reports from the Truce Monitoring Group on the implementation, progress and success of the Truce. The Peace Consultative Committee will have no direct involvement in the command or the deployment decisions made by the Truce Monitoring Group;

Page 2,
4. The Peace Consultative Committee will have the following composition:
(a) Core members:
National Government - 3
BTG - 2
BIG - 2
BRA - 2
Resistance- 2
(b) The Chairman will be elected from among the core members
(c) The Committee will determine its working arrangements including frequency of meetings

Page 2,
5. The Peace Consultative Committee may, by unanimous consent of its members, invite representatives of other groups or bodies or person to become members.
This Commitment shall take effect as of the date of signature, and shall be reviewed when the leaders meet in January, 1998.
Related cases: Page 1,
Recalling and reaffirming the agreements and recommendations embodied in the Turnham Truce, signed at Turnham Military Camp, New Zealand, on 10th October 1997 ("the truce")
Source: Originally accessed from Conciliation Resources Accord (http://www.c-r.org/accord/papua-new-guinea%E2%80%93bougainville – no longer available from original source).

Cairns Commitment on Implementation of the Agreement Concerning the Neutral Regional Truce Monitoring Group (TMG) for Bougainville

Recalling and reaffirming the agreements and recommendations embodied in teh Burnham Truce, signed at Burnham Military Camp, New Zealand, on 19 October 1997 (The Truce).

Acknowledging with appreciation the willingness of States in the region to respond positively to the invitation to contribute personnel and other forms of support to a neutral Regional Truce Monitoring Group for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the truce;

and

Commitment to co-operating in ensurin grespect for the letter and spirit of the Agreement establishing the Truce Monitoring Group ('the Agreement'), including legislation giving the Agreement the status of municipal law

The parties to the Burnham Truce ('The parties'), meeting in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, hereby declare;

1. The bodies and groups representated will

a) comply with the letter and spirit of the agreement establishing the Truce Monitoring Group;

b) respect the mandate, the internaitonal and neutral character and the personnel including support personnel, together with teh premises, equipment, supplies and line sof communication of the Truce Monitoring Group;

c) ensure that the truce monitoring group is sale at all times from attack, interference or hinderance;

d) provide all possible assistance to the Truce Monitoring Group in teh performance of its mandate;

and

e) urge all other bodies, groups and personal under their authority to do the same.

f) maintain consultations should the need for any supplemental arrangements to the TMG Agreement be required;

2. Consistent with the Agreement establishing the Truce Monitoring Group, the parties, agree to establish the Peace Consultative Committee provided for in the Agreement in order to facilitate consultation and liason -

- Among themselves;

- through the Truce Steering Committee;

including the Commander, with the Truce Monitoring Group;

and

- at the local level.

3. The parties recognize that the role of the Peace Consultative Committee is to review and assess implementation adherence by teh signatories to teh Truce.

The Peace Consultative Committee will recieve regular reports from the Truce Monitoring Group on the implementation, progress and success of the Truce.

The Peace Consultative Committee will have no direct involvement in the command or the deployment decisions made by the Truce Monitoring Group;

4. The Peace Consultative Committee will have the following composition;

a) Core Members

National Government - 3

BTG - 2

BIG - 2

BRA - 2

Resistance - 2

b) The Chairman will be elected from among the core members

c) The committee will determine its working arrangements including frequency of meetings.

5. The Peace Consultative Committee may, by unanimous consent of its members, invite represetnatives of other groups or bodies or person to become members.

This commitment shall take effect as of the date of signature, and shall be reviewed when the leaders meet in January, 1998.

Signed in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, on this 24th Day of november 1997.