In March, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination repeated its request for information on the situation on Bougainville island and for renewed dialogue with Papua New Guinea.

In June, the international Peace Monitoring Group left Bougainville. A new Bougainville Transition Team took over some of its functions.

In August, the UN delegate's report on implementation of the UN Security Council's mandate on Bougainville cleared the way for elections for a Bougainville autonomous government expected in 2004. In December, three districts destroyed weapons collected under a UN program.

Source: Amnesty International