PM secures peacekeeping deal, backs Kanaky at MSG Summit

Prime Minister (PM) Jotham Napat says Fiji has agreed to include Vanuatu police officers in future United Nations peacekeeping missions, while Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders have reaffirmed their strong and united support for Kanaky’s push for independence during the recent MSG Leaders’ Summit in Suva.

“I have requested that if every contingent of Fiji, that if they provide 100, if it is possible to give 10 to Vanuatu, and he have agreed with this idea,” PM Napat said yesterday after returning to Port Vila.

He said this is a government-to-government arrangement and all selected police officers will be trained at Black Rock, a regional training institution in Fiji.

the leaders have instructed the Secretariat to develop its concept, and even to the extent where if it needs for us to make one of the legislation where it covers travelling within MSG, then this have to be done,” Napat said.

He added that leaders acknowledged other MSG activities including the Melanesian Cup and the Cultural Festival hosted recently in Vanuatu.

“In 2026, Fiji will be the host. This has taken the full support of the MSG leaders.”

Climate action and Vanuatu's role

PM Napat said climate change was also part of the leaders’ discussion, and Vanuatu was commended for its international leadership.

“They continue to encourage every member within MSG to continue pursue this idea, took it to different level of platform, and they commend Vanuatu for the initiative that we have taken to spearhead loss and damages and also idea in terms of ICJ.”

Fisheries and trade agreements

He said MSG leaders also tasked the Secretariat with developing new concepts around fisheries and marine resource development.

“This is because within Melanesian we have more resources in our EEZ, and also when you look at population and land mass, MSG have seen to be globally have a lot of resources but weight is with us. This is why the idea to create different avenues on how to benefit from it.”

On trade, Napat said the MSG Secretariat has been asked to revisit current agreements.

“The leaders requested the Secretariat to revisit our trade agreement again to see what we can work on and improve—to give fair distribution and at the same time allow different country so that they can trade, and this is part of our trade agreement.”

Maritime Boundary with Fiji

PM Napat also held a bilateral meeting with the PM of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, to discuss unresolved maritime boundaries between the two countries.

“We have sorted our maritime boundary with Solomon Islands already, but with Fiji not yet. When I support this idea, the Prime Minister of Fiji welcomes this idea, and he wanted for us to do it like how we do it with the Solomon Islands—with the culture of Melanesia,” he said.

“This is a very positive note because we have been waiting for since Fiji have signed a treaty with France and Australia in 1983. This is very difficult to us since every time we come to discuss our boundary with France it has been challenging.”

“But I think the road that the PM of Fiji indicated in the bilateral is that yes, we will sort this out in the Melanesian way. And then that give us an advantage to deal with our maritime boundary with France.”

doddy@dailypost.vu

1st MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE FOR REINFORCING COMMITMENT TO MSG, A SUCCESS

PORT VILA, VANUATU (25 March 2024): The Inaugural Committee for Reinforcing Commitment and Obligation towards the MSG (CRCO) was successfully convened at the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat on 15 March 2024.

Chaired by Mr Kalfau Kaloris, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade of Vanuatu, the CRCO was convened to examine the institutional, regulatory and operational mechanisms in Members’ bureaucracy that might be affecting commitment to, and cohesion of the MSG and the effective implementation of MSG Leaders’ decisions.

The same issues were examined of the Secretariat and suggestions to strengthen its operations, commitment to the MSG and the effective implementation of Leaders mandates were put forward.

During opening statements, Members reaffirmed their commitment towards the MSG and its objectives. They also noted the Secretariat’s efforts to strengthen its operations and capacity needs and undertook to improve their support to the Secretariat with its work. 

Additionally, they reiterated their commitment towards ensuring that the MSG continues to be relevant, and that the cohesion of the Group is further strengthened to ensure it plays an effective leadership role in the region on matters of particular interest to the MSG Members.

Members agreed to the need for adjustments and strengthened cooperation within the MSG Membership in the changing regional and global political and economic landscape.

In terms of Legislative, Members called for the need to review the Agreement Establishing the MSG, among other things, to make it consistent with International Law and practice. The review would ensure a stronger and versatile subregional Organization, that MSG will remain faithful to its original objectives and truthful in the service of its Members interests, and the Organization will remain relevant amidst changing times.

With regards to operational matters, Members urged for concerted efforts to be made to increase the visibility of the MSG as a Group and the Secretariat, and aggressively promote what the MSG does.

Among other things, Members acknowledged the importance of the Committee’s work and agreed for the CRCO to become a Standing Committee of the MSG that would report to the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) directly and endorsed that the outcome of the discussions be presented to and considered by the MSG Governing Bodies.

Committee Members in attendance were Chairman, Mr Kaloris; Ambassador Amena Yauvoli, Fiji’s Ambassador to Indonesia; Mr Patrick Jomessy, Representative of the FLNKS Political Bureau; Mr Elias Wohengu, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Papua New Guinea (online) and Ambassador Collin Beck, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Solomon Islands.

MSG SECRETARIAT REITERATES SUPPORT FOR FLNKS AT C-24

PORT VILA, VANUATU (25 May 2023): The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat has reiterated its support for the call by the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) on the Administering power to return to the spirit of the Noumea Accord, in the negotiations post-Referendums, which has resulted in the peaceful co-existence of all stakeholders in New Caledonia.

Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Leonard Louma, made the call while delivering his remarks at the Pacific Regional Seminar on the Implementation of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism in Bali, Indonesia on 24 May 2023.

With the theme “Innovative steps to ensure the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Non-Self-Governing Territories”, the seminar was held under the auspices of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (C-24).

DG Louma said that the FLNKS, a member of the MSG family, consists of and represents the indigenous and colonised people of New Caledonia – a Non-Self-Governing Territory within the meaning of the UN Charter and Resolution 1514 (XV) and entitled to the ultimate objectives of the decolonisation process – that of independence.

“We are here to support the FLNKS and Kanaks call for New Caledonia to be released from the shackles of colonialism.”

 

“For us at the MSG, that were in the vanguard of action to have New Caledonia re-inscribed on the Committee of 24 list in 1986, we value the recognition by the UN family of New Caledonia’s continuing status as a Non-Self-Governing Territory and by that virtue affording its colonised people’s an entitlement to aspire for independence,” he stated.

DG Louma said that as a party and signatory to the Noumea Accord, FLNKS continues to engage, in good faith, with the Administering Power to achieve its aspirations of full sovereignty. He emphasised that the spirit and intent that went into the framing of the Noumea Accord embodies the “irreversibility” of the process towards full sovereignty. 

He noted that the circumstances and manner in which the Third Referendum in New Caledonia was conducted in December 2021 during the height of Covid 19 challenges, and despite calls to defer the referendum by the FLNKS, leaves much to be desired. 

This he said, has inevitably called to question the credibility of the process and the legitimacy of the results when 56.13% of the registered voters did not participate in the referendum. 

“We remain ready to assist FLNKS in its efforts to seek legal validation of its position on the Third Referendum and the questionable validity of its results,” he added.    

DG Louma emphasised that, MSG is of the view that in the absence of a decision by the General Assembly that New Caledonia, a Non-Self-Governing Territory, has attained a full measure of self-government in terms of Chapter XI of the UN Charter, the Administering Power has the obligation to faithfully discharge its responsibilities to prepare New Caledonia for independence within the spirit and meaning of the UN Resolution 1514 (XV).    

MSG countries he said, are committed to do whatever they can to help New Caledonia through the FLNKS vehicle attain its aspirations of sovereignty through peaceful means.

“Let us all utilise the opportunity provided by the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism to re-examine our efforts and inject more vigour in our commitment to end colonialism. In some cases we may require to correct course in our strategies and efforts,” he noted. 

DG Louma proudly acknowledged Fiji and Papua New Guinea, for their unremitting involvement in the work of the Committee of 24, with regards to specific contribution by MSG to advance the decolonisation agenda concerning the remaining territories on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories (New Caledonia), 

“We at the MSG recognise our responsibility to assist with the efforts to prepare the Kanaks and New Caledonia towards the genuine exercise of their right to self-determination and eventual accession to independence status,” DG Louma said.

New Caledonia continues to enjoy invitations from the MSG to participate in our sporting and cultural events, as part of the MSG’s recalibrated strategy and plans, namely their participation at the MSG’s flagship cultural event, the Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival (MACFEST), and the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup Football Tournament.  

Another is the inclusion of FLNKS Representatives on MSG countries’ Delegations to International Meetings as part of the diplomatic efforts to solicit support for New Caledonia’s independence, among others.

In an effort to build transformative pathways to advance the Fourth International Decade for Ending Colonialism, DG Louma proposed a number of ideas including the proposal that New Caledonia be allowed to enter into Trade Agreements with neighbouring Pacific Countries. 

DG Louma concluded that there is an important nexus between the attainment of SDG in Non-Self-Governing Territories and their aspirations of self-determination and independence.

“Actions aimed at attainment of these SDG targets will ensure that when Territories and Peoples to which Resolution 1514 (XV) applies eventually attain full self-determination and independence, they will be better placed to take on responsibilities of governance, better assured of maintaining sustainable economic prosperity, better able to sustain equitable and decent living standards and able to take their seats amongst the family of nations as viable independent states,” he said. 

For DG Louma's full speech please click below:

https://msgsec.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-May-24-MSG-REMARKS-BY-DG-C24-Meeting-Bali-Indonesia.pdf

Caption: Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Leonard Louma delivering his remarks at the Pacific Regional Seminar on the Implementation of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism in Bali, Indonesia on 24 May 2023.