Southwest Papua Prepares for Papeda Summit 2026 to Boost Sustainable Development Collaboration
The Southwest Papua Provincial Government is maturing preparations for the Papeda Summit 2026, which will be held in Sorong City from 2 to 4 September 2026, to strengthen collaboration for sustainable development in Tanah Papua. “What we discussed was sustainable development, how the government and development partners can collaborate, and how we can build Tanah Papua together,” said Papeda Summit Chair III Vania Komegi in a press release from Commslab on Friday.
The preparations were discussed in a meeting attended by Southwest Papua Governor Elisa Kambu, representatives of civil society organisations from Tanah Papua, national civil society representatives, a representative from the Norwegian Embassy, and a representative from the German development cooperation agency GIZ on Tuesday (14/7). Vania stated that an estimated 500 participants are expected to attend the forum, including representatives from the central government, embassies, academics, civil society organisations, and development partners.
The Papeda Summit will also feature an exhibition of local products and best practices from indigenous communities across the six provinces in Tanah Papua. The forum is planned as a launchpad for several joint initiatives for sustainable development and will produce the Sorong Declaration as a joint commitment by the six provinces in Tanah Papua to promote sustainable development. Governor Elisa Kambu said the forum is an important moment to align steps in facing the region’s development challenges. “We hope more parties will get involved because development issues cannot be solved alone. Only by working together can we realise sustainable development in Tanah Papua,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ita Natalia from the Samdhana Institute said the forum could strengthen synergy among stakeholders, particularly in advancing the indigenous community agenda through concrete contributions on the ground. Similarly, the Executive Director of the Limited Association for the Study and Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples (Pt. PPMA), Naomi Marasian, mentioned that the exhibition at the Papeda Summit would showcase various best practices from indigenous communities, ranging from economic empowerment, food, education, and health, to advocacy and civil society strengthening.