Melanesian Spearhead Group

The team led by MSG Director General, Ambassador Amena Yauvoli met Madame Caroline Machoro-Rennier, 1st Vice President of the New Caledonia Congress, and Mickael Forest, Permanent Secretary of FLNKS.

The Secretariat was tasked to assist the FLNKS in preparing for the 2018 Referendum in accordance with the mandate of MSG Leaders pursuant to the 2013 Noumea Declaration adopted in Noumea and the 2018 Action Plan of Support to FLNKS adopted by Leaders in February 2018 in Papua New Guinea,

Speaking during the brief ceremony this week, Ambassador Yauvoli emphasized that the MSG Secretariat’s core work programme recognises sports and youth activities as an important tool and catalyst for development in the Melanesian region.

He added that he is honoured to be able to support in a small way to assist our host country’s social development, especially through sports and the donation assistance to the Vanuatu National Rugby Sevens Team is an illustration of the same.

Mr Yauvoli told the Fiji Times human rights issues relating to West Papua should be dealt with by international organisations.

Speaking during a working group meeting in Nadi on Thursday, he said the MSG's common enemy is crime and politics should be set aside.

Earlier this week Vanuatu Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu said the MSG was failing because of a lack of political engagement.

The group had become especially contentious after including Indonesia in 2015, which had clashed with United Liberation Movement for West Papua, which holds observer status.

In an interview with Australian think-tank the Development Policy Centre, Ralph Regenvanu, said the MSG was disappointing and becoming less relevant.

"That consensus approach to decision making is failing in the MSG. Vanuatu's been consistently saying that it's not happy with the way that decisions are made, that they're not made in the consensus manner, and that's continuing."

The warning was delivered by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's Director General of Asia-Pacific and African Affairs, Desra Percaya, at this week's MSG leaders summit.

The summit was hosted by Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill in Port Moresby.

It was attended by leaders and officials from the other four full MSG members: Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks Movement.

Indonesia, which is an associate member, was represented by Mr Percaya who endorsed the MSG's plan on regional co-operation and common prosperity.

PNG's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill is hosting leaders from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Fiji as well as a representative of New Caledonia's indigenous Kanak people.

A long-pending application for Spearhead membership by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, which has observer status in the group, is to be processed under new guidelines for membership.

It's unclear whether this means the decision is a technical or political one.

Papua New Guinea's capital will host the summit from 10-15 February when PNG is to assume the MSG chairmanship from Solomon Islands.

The group also includes Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks Movement.

According to the secretariat, PNG's focus for discussions at the summit is on sustainable development goals outlined in the MSG 2038 Prosperity for All Plan.

It's been two-and-a-half years since the last full MSG leaders summit in Honiara, with a number of leaders' meeting deferred.

MSG and Director General, Ambassador Amena Yauvoli who are both claimants of the Civil Case 345 of 2017, were untouchable by the Vanuatu Supreme Court because Vanuatu as the host country of the MSG Secretariat had signed an agreement with the MSG.

Article 5 of the agreement stated that “1. The Secretariat shall be immune from suit and legal process and its premises, archives and property shall be inviolable”, according to a Vanuatu Daily Post report.

The meeting is being chaired by Solomon Islands, as the current holder of the MSG chairmanship.

Other full members are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks movement.

Discussions will focus on emerging trends of crime, as well as regional security issues and how MSG countries can contribute to UN operations around the world.

The meeting of police ministers is expected to discuss progress made on the Regional Police Academy initiative, for which Indonesia has offered the Pacific countries assistance.

RNZ reports MSG senior officials and foreign ministers had meetings at the group's secretariat in Port Vila, with the findings of a review of MSG rules on membership the main agenda item.

This comes as the MSG considers a full membership application by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

The Liberation Movement, which has observer status in the MSG, protested at efforts by Indonesian officials at the meeting to dictate terms on the wording of discussions.