Developing a Home-Grown Independence Constitution in Bougainville: Part One — Context and Process

Abstract

On 6 May 2024, the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) released the first draft of its proposed independence constitution. The ABG is a highly autonomous sub-national government in Papua New Guinea (PNG), with strong aspirations for Bougainville (population about 350,000) to soon become the first independent country since South Sudan in 2011. This two-part In Brief analyses the political and constitutional context, Bougainville’s prior constitutionmaking history, the current constitution-making process (Part One), and key features of the content of the draft (Part Two).