Papua New Guinea a Failed Assessment

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5

F

State failure is equated with civil war (but state failure can take place without civil war and civil war can take place without state failure).

Although it did not rise to the level of a full-blown civil war (only because it did not succeed any further), when U.S. analysts term "a nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville" from 1988 to 1997 resulted in about 20,000 deaths (Papua New Guinea 2011). In addition, Ayson and Ball (2006) also emphasize that, "In Papua New Guinea, intergroup fighting in the oil and gas-rich Southern Highlands province continues; some paramilitary turmoil is in prospect; but the peace process in the Bougainville province has been successful so far" (p. 260).

3

The respective weighted score for each of the failed criterion as applied to Papua New Guinea are presented graphically in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Application of Criteria for a Failed State to Papua New Guinea

Key:

A

A failed state means that the basic functions of the state are no longer performed

B

Maintains few or no functioning state institutions

C

Has lost its power to confer identity

D

Can no longer assure security

E

Has lost its legitimacy

F

State failure is equated with civil war (but state failure can take place without civil war and civil war can take place without state failure).

With an average weighted score of 4 for the six criteria by which the international community evaluates the status of states, Papua New Guinea is doing fairly well and cannot be viewed as a failed state by any of the criteria; however, significant security issues may threaten the other criteria in unpredictable ways in the future, making this an area of high priority for the PNG government.

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Conclusion

The research showed that the criteria for being regarded as a viable state include being unable to perform the basic functions of a state, maintaining few or no functioning state institutions, and a loss of the power to confer identity. In addition, other criteria for being a failed state include the inability to assure security, a loss of legitimacy and the potential presence of a civil war. Although Papua New Guinea was shown to have experienced its fair share of violence and civil unrest in recent years, the research was fairly consistent in characterizing the country and an "up-and-comer" that may be able to shake off its colonial past and join the international community in more meaningful ways in the future. Far from being a failed state, it is reasonable to conclude that a number of countries that are not considered failing or collapsing states would envy Papua New Guinea's low unemployment rate and resilience to global economic downturns by virtue of the continuing high demand for the country's products. In the final analysis, Papua New Guinea needs some work, but it is definitely not a failed state by any measure......

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