The Commander of Papua New Guinea's Defence Force says a draft law to allow it to serve in overseas missions will help fulfill its international obligations written in the country's constitution.
The bill is due for submission on May the 12th and if passed, the defence force could be serving in United Nations peace keeping missions as early as the start of next year.
The Defence Force Commander Commodore, Peter Ilau, says the bill has been in the making since 2004.
"It's always been mandated in our constitution for our international obligation since independence in September 1975. We've not really done anything about it. I think it will bring some credibility to Papua New Guinea as a nation. People get know know what Papua New Guineans are like through its soldiers."
Commodore Peter Ilau says peace keeping will be a key role for the defence force.
