South Papua Provincial Government Drafts Governor's Regulation on Customary Law Communities

The South Papua Provincial Government is continuing to draft a Governor’s Regulation (Pergub) on the Procedure for Approving Initial Information on Compulsory Locations (Padiatapa) for customary law communities in the region. Staff Advisor to the Governor of South Papua for Economy, Finance, and Development, Nelson Sasarari, stated that his team, together with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) organisation, has held a meeting to discuss and conclude matters deemed important for the regulation. “This is certainly an effort on our part to assist indigenous communities, and we hope that the meeting with WWF can produce joint guidelines in serving the indigenous people of South Papua,” he said. “In addition, it is also to accelerate development and provide the widest possible space to customary law communities,” he added. He explained that they hope the legal product will help indigenous communities in managing local wisdom. “This is what must be guided by the government in the form of regulations so that communities can be involved in the sustainable management of natural resources,” he said further. He added that his side appreciates WWF’s assistance to indigenous communities, and thus hopes that the Padiatapa Pergub for customary law communities can become a regional regulation this year.