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The Embassy of Papua New Guinea in London |
Contact
Address
14 – 16 Waterloo Place, London, SW1Y 4AR
Phone Number
020 7930 0922
Website
www.pnghighcomm.org.uk
E-Mail
pnghc.london@dfat.gov.pg
The Ambassador
H.E. Ms. Betty Palaso
H.E. Ms. Betty Palaso is an exceptionally accomplished economist, trailblazing public administrator, and senior career diplomat who stands as one of the most respected female institutional leaders in the Pacific region. Hailing from Lou Island in the Manus Province, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG).
She achieved profound national prominence when she was appointed as the very first female Commissioner General of the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC), serving from 2007 to 2018. In this powerful executive role, she completely modernized Papua New Guinea's tax architecture, instituted strict compliance models, and simultaneously sat as a key board member of the Bank of Papua New Guinea (the nation's central bank).
Transitioning to the diplomatic corps, she served a highly successful five-year tenure as Ambassador of Papua New Guinea to the Republic of the Philippines (2019–2024), drastically scaling regional agricultural and security alignments. Recognizing her peerless technocratic execution, the government commissioned her to command the premier Western European post in London. She took formal office at the Waterloo Place chancery in late 2024. In recognition of her monumental public service, she was honored by the British Crown as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003 and elevated to a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2017.
History
Bilateral relations between Papua New Guinea and the United Kingdom are deeply fraternal, historically continuous, and highly cooperative, formalizing immediately upon PNG's independence in 1975. The High Commission operates out of a prominent, highly active independent chancery compound located at 14 Waterloo Place in the exclusive diplomatic and political heart of St. James's.
The High Commission in London serves as a principal command center for executing Pacific maritime statecraft, climate-resilience diplomacy, and premium commodity trade expansion between Port Moresby and Whitehall. Under High Commissioner Palaso’s specialized macroeconomic and fiscal background, a paramount structural objective of the mission is fully operationalizing the Pacific States–United Kingdom Economic Partnership Agreement. This vital continuity trade framework guarantees duty-free and quota-free access to British markets, aggressively boosting PNG's exports of sustainably sourced fisheries, premium organic coffee, palm oil, and cocoa.
Ecologically and scientifically, the High Commission leads high-level partnerships alongside organizations like the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), pioneering advanced biosecurity frameworks and sustainable forestry techniques to protect the unique biodiversity of the Pacific.
On the security front, the mission monitors and advances the comprehensive UK-PNG Bilateral Security Agreement, coordinating closely with the UK Ministry of Defence on maritime boundary safety, climate risk mitigations, and regional stability. Furthermore, the High Commission coordinates extensive community and educational statecraft—leveraging elite Commonwealth and Chevening pathways for Papua New Guinean scholars—while its consular section handles digitized passport updates and civil registries to support the thriving PNG academic, corporate, and professional diaspora residing throughout the British Isles.
