Papua New Guinea

• © Kenneth Sumbuk
• Indigenous Languages: Revitalization and Preservation in Melanesia and the Pacific

Papua New Guinea joined UNESCO on 4 October 1976. The country is covered by the UNESCO Office in Apia, Samoa.

Papua New Guinea, which is part of Oceania, occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. It is located in the south-eastern Pacific, north of Australia and west of the Solomon Islands. The country has many natural resources, with oil, copper and gold making up 72% of the country’s export earnings.

Papua New Guinea holds one UNESCO Chair in Freedom of Expression established in 2001 at Divine Word University. More than 30 schools are participating in UNESCO’s Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet).

A number of projects are underway in the country in the framework of UNESCO’s Natural Sciences Sector, with an emphasis on promotion of indigenous wise practices.

Papua New Guinea is working with UNESCO to preserve its cultural heritage, notably its extraordinary number of indigenous languages.