That the substance of the PNG Constitution is still extant 40 years after it came into operation is one of the remarkable achievements of the first 40 years of PNG’s independence. At the same time, the fact that the 2014 constitutional amendment for the proposed Independent Commission against Corruption is Constitutional Amendment No. 40 provides an insight into the extent of pressure on the Constitution to change in response to dramatic social, economic and political change. Following presentation of keynote addresses on related themes, this session will assess the range of developments over the past 40 years. The focus will be on the origins, development and impacts of the political, economic and other forces shaping the operation and development of the Constitution and the performance of the state in this turbulent period.