Melanesian Spearhead Group

MSG finalises trade agreement in Noumea

The Melanesian Spearhead Group has finalised the text of its trade agreement at a meeting in New Caledonia today.

With the MSGTA3 due to be signed on November the 16th, delegates have been in Noumea this week negotiating the text.

The current agreement only refers to goods, while the new one will include services, investment, telecommunications, e-commerce and labour mobility.

The programme manager of trade and investment for the MSG Secretariat, John Licht, says Papua New Guinea has been pressed to relax its visa requirements, in line with the other MSG countries.

MSG chair highlight West Papua issue at UNGA

Sogavare's statement is the second statement from the Pacific that has raised concerns of human rights violations in West Papua, with emphasis for the UN to intervene.

Tongan Prime Minister this week also highlighted humanrights abuses facing people of West Papua.

The Solomon Islands Prime Minister informed  UNGA on the developments at the MSG and the Pacific Islands Forum, including the plea to Indonesia to accept unrestricted access to a possible mission of a fact finding mission to West Papua.

MSG leader wants unified Pacific position on climate

The comment from Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, comes after his fellow Pacific Islands Forum leaders failed to reach a unified position on the issue.

Most countries had wanted to push for a temperature increase over pre-industrial levels of less than 1.5 degrees celsius at the COP21 meeting in Paris.

But this was opposed by New Zealand and Australia and the Forum concluded with a weaker 'agree to disagree' position.

MSG Trade and Economic Meetings in Fiji

The meetings are being held at the Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Fiji. 

Senior officials and representatives from Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu will be in attendance as part of talks towards a new and more comprehensive trade agreement - MSGTA3 – that will now include Trade in Services, and new chapters such as Labour Mobility, Investment, and Telecommunications. 

MSG Leaders have directed that a draft legal text of the trade agreement must be ready by November 2015.

The meetings include: 

Vanuatu’s PM breaks silence over West Papua and MSG move on Jakarta

Kilman broke his silence on the subject while addressing church leaders at the National Bible Week Prayer Breakfast for Leaders on Saturday morning at the Palms Resort in Port Vila.

He applauded the decision of the meeting in accepting West Papua into the MSG as an observer and elevating Indonesia to associate member status.

'MSG denied us' - ULWMP

This was revealed at the closing of the MSG 20th summit at the Heritage Park Conference Centre during a press conference with the West Papuan delegation.

Secretary General to ULMWP Octovianus Mote said, at the MSG summit in Noumea (Kanaky) in 2013, MSG recognised West Papua for self-determination, and at the special MSG leaders meeting in Port Moresby in 2014, a criteria was set requiring West Papuans be united before they could be considered for MSG membership.

Germany helps MSG cope with climate change

Team leader of GIZ, the German International Cooperation Agency based in Suva, Fiji, Dr. Wulf Killman (pictured) told the MSG meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands on 26th June that under the EU GIZ ACSE program the four Melanesian countries have been awarded €1m each for projects on climate change adaptation and sustainable energy.

GIZ is a fully German Government–owned technical cooperation agency. With about 20,000 staff it is assisting many countries worldwide, among them the 14 independent Pacific Island Countries, on sustainable development issues.

United Liberation Movement for West Papua still determined for self determination

The organisation’s General Secretary, Octo Mote says, there’s still a lot be done.

Being granted Observer status, adds a new chapter for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

A movement that champions self-determination.

Last week’s ruling by the MSG has boosted the confidence of the Movement.

MSG leaders must respond to issues - O’Neill

He said this after the MSG group granted Indonesia application to be an Associate member and gave the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Observer Status.

“As a Melanesian Group, it is important that we hear what our communities are demanding,” O’Neill told leaders at the closing of the MSG meeting.

He says the decision to include Indonesia and ULMWP is one that is very historic.

“As everyone else in the region, we want the same things. We want peace, we want security and we want better standards of living for our families.” Says O’Neill

Indonesia is into the MSG, says PNG

In a break from tradition where announcement of the MSG Leaders decision is supposed to be made by its chair, host of the summit, Prime Minister Mannaseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands, O’Neill’s office announced that Indonesia is an associate member of the MSG and that the United Liberation Movement of West Papua has been granted observer status.
 
“Today is very a important day for peace and goodwill for our brothers and sisters living in Indonesia’s Melanesian provinces,” said O’Neill’s press announcement.