In Papua New Guinea hopes are high that real change is on its way; the country’s political, administrative, financial and technical leaders now have to find a way to ensure the most productive distribution and use of financial resources. Many international actors are watching closely to see how this young country negotiates its path. Papua New Guinea became a major exporter of gas in 2014 when the $19bn PNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) project was completed ahead of schedule and within budget, significantly increasing the size and strength of the economy. The year ahead is likely to see PNG benefit from the further development of its hydrocarbons sector, fuelling the growth of its economy as a whole. The LNG influx also poses challenges, however, in terms of ensuring inclusive growth and productive use of the new revenues. PNG takes pride in being a final frontier of natural and cultural development, but the task ahead is to protect the country’s heritage while becoming part of the global economy.

In terms of investment, Papua New Guinea’s geographic location, geopolitical importance and abundance of commodities, as well as the success of the PNG Liquefied Natural Gas project, have helped it become a favoured destination for Chinese and Japanese ventures, with expectations of further foreign direct investment (FDI) going forward, particularly in the primary sector. However, PNG remains a challenging place for international participants, and while high-level, strategically important projects are likely to proceed smoothly, smaller, more entrepreneurial ventures may face difficulty. To improve this reputation the country is trying to boost transparency and efficiency in business transactions, though new initiatives under way could see it adopt more protectionist policies, thereby going against the tenets of liberal economics it has traditionally embraced.

Papua New Guinea's economic growth has outpaced the majority of economies in Southeast Asia and the Pacific since 2007. Its development challenges, however, remain daunting, and it lags behind other countries in the region in terms of per capita income and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. This raises the question of how the country can make its economic growth high, sustained, inclusive, and broad-based to more effectively improve its population's welfare. This report identifies the critical constraints to these objectives and discusses policy options to help overcome such constraints.

The 2010 edition of the Global Education Digest focuses on gender and education to mark the 15th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. Shortly after this landmark conference in 1995, the international community pledged to eliminate gender disparities at all levels of education by 2015 as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the official source of data to monitor advancement towards these goals, the UIS has released the Digest on the eve of the UN Millennium Summit (New York, 20-22 September) to present the latest available data to analyse national progress and pitfalls in offering every child and young person equal access to education regardless of their sex. According to the Digest, boys and girls in only 85 countries will have equal access to primary and secondary education by 2015, if present trends continue. Seventy-two countries are not likely to reach the goal - among which, 63 are far from reaching parity at the secondary level.

The Sustainable Development Goals were launched in 2015 with grand ambitions for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity for all, with ‘no one left behind’. However, these goals will be impossible to achieve without addressing inequity, inequality, marginalisation, and exclusion related to gender, and to other intersecting social hierarchies linked to deeply emotional, culturally bound norms and judgements of worth. This book asks readers to consider issues of knowledge, power, and effectiveness, emphasising the limits of taking a categorical approach to gender and other social hierarchies, and the importance of process in what is known about generating transformative social change. Engendering Transformative Thinking and Practice in International Development draws on a range of real world examples which demonstrate both the limitations of the frameworks currently in use, and the very real possibilities for change when the intersecting social hierarchies that sustain and create inequity and inequality are challenged. This book brings together theoretical perspectives on social change, gender, intersectionality, and forms of knowledge, concluding with a set of proposals for revitalising a change agenda that recognises and engages with intersectionality and practical wisdom. Perfect for students and scholars of social change, gender, and development, this book will also be useful for practitioners looking for new ideas to help to generate social change.

This book analyzes the common set of obstacles to the development and integration of government Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects and effective e-government initiatives in developing countries. It draws on the expertise and experience of more developed states in the Pacific, notably Australia and New Zealand, both highly rated in global rankings for e-government and active in a variety of e-government development projects across the region. There has been a general failure to identify priorities and align projects with local needs in ICT/e-government projects. Small Island Developing States (or SIDS) present a unique problem in terms of e-government. Not only do they suffer from a common set of barriers to ICT development such as their remoteness, geographical dispersion, moist tropical climates, largely rural populations, and lack of ICT capacity and infrastructure, but are also dependent on external agencies for investment, and must negotiate with powerful donors who have conflicting agendas. E-government is widely regarded as 'transformational', increasing efficiency, productivity, accountability, economic growth, and citizen involvement. But while the governments of SIDS are committed to harnessing ICTs for effective government and economic development, they face major challenges in establishing successful e-government initiatives, due to the problems outlined above, coupled with a lack of HR capacities and appropriate strategies and policies. Drawing on the experience of the states mentioned above, as well as regional quasi-governmental bodies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), aid agencies, and the private sector, the book will be of interest to researchers and students in the fields of e-government, public administration, political science, communication, information science, and social media.

Papua New Guinea has seen solid economic growth over the past decade, supported by sound macroeconomic policies. This 2012 Article IV Consultation discusses that the financial sector in Papua New Guinea remains profitable and well capitalized, but vulnerabilities have increased. Executive Directors have commended the authorities for achieving macroeconomic stability and a sustainable fiscal position. To preserve these achievements and promote inclusive development, it will be important to combine steady, affordable growth in government spending with improvements in public financial management and expenditure effectiveness.