PNG’s 4th UPR: Calling for ratification of the OP2-ICCPR to lock in abolition
On 10 April 2026, CPJP, together with four international partner organisations, made a joint submission to the fourth Universal Periodic Review of Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The submission commends PNG's landmark 2022 abolition of the death penalty, while calling on the government to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights — the essential next step to make abolition permanent and protected from future reversal.
What is the Universal Periodic Review?
Established in March 2006, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process under the United Nations Human Rights Council where each UN Member State's human rights record is peer-reviewed every 4.5 years. PNG's fourth review is scheduled for November 2026.
The stakeholder input process provides an opportunity for civil society organisations like ours to highlight areas where we believe governments need to improve their human rights practices and compliance with international obligations.
Context: PNG's history with the death penalty
PNG’s last execution took place in 1954.
The death penalty was first abolished in PNG in 1970, then reintroduced in 1991 for wilful murder. In 2013, its scope was expanded to include sorcery-related murder, aggravated rape, and robbery. At the same time, the conditions that those on death row faced prompted a judge-led National Court inquiry that found serious human rights concerns.
On 20 January 2022, the National Parliament of PNG passed the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act Bill 2022, repealing the death penalty and replacing it with life imprisonment. This was a landmark achievement, leaving Tonga as the only Pacific Island nation still retaining the death penalty.
Why ratification of the OP2-ICCPR is urgently needed
Despite the 2022 abolition, the risk of reintroduction is real. PNG voted against the UN General Assembly resolution for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in 2024. This reversion from abstaining in 2022, especially following the country’s abolition of the death penalty, raises concerns that the future reintroduction of capital punishment remains possible.
Most alarmingly, as recently as March 2026, Police Minister Sir John Pundari announced in Parliament that proposed legislative amendments would apply the death penalty to people still holding illegal firearms in September 2026 at the conclusion of an amnesty and buy-back period.
Ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (OP2-ICCPR) would transform PNG's current legislative abolition — which can be reversed by Parliament — into a binding international legal obligation. Ratification is the most effective safeguard available, as no government can then reintroduce capital punishment without breaching its international human rights commitments. In doing so, PNG would join the 92 countries that have already taken this step, aligning itself with the clear global movement toward human dignity and the right to life.
Our Recommendations
Our joint submission calls on the Government of Papua New Guinea to:
Ratify the OP2-ICCPR to consolidate its abolitionist stance and become a regional leader in the Asia-Pacific in promoting the right to life. Technical assistance for this process can be requested from the Friends of the Second Optional Protocol.
Following ratification, review and amend any remaining domestic legislation, including the PNG Constitution and the Criminal Code Act 1974, to ensure full legal conformity with the OP2-ICCPR.
In collaboration with civil society, undertake comprehensive public education initiatives about the reasons for repealing the death penalty, including its ineffectiveness as a unique deterrent, and alternative means to combat violent crime.
Engage in public consultations to develop and implement rights-respecting policy approaches to prevent and reduce gender-based violence, ensuring that responses address the structural and social drivers of gendered violence, rather than focusing on punitive measures.
Submission partners
This submission was prepared in collaboration with:
Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network
the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty
Parliamentarians for Global Action
The Advocates for Human Rights.