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Kanaky

DG LOUMA MEETS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF NEW CALEDONIA

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The Director General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat, Leonard Louma, met with the President of the Government of New Caledonia, His Excellency Louis Mapou, at the Office of the President in Noumea yesterday.
The meeting discussed ways and means in which New Caledonia can be better integrated into the MSG and the Pacific Region as a whole.
Both DG Louma and President Mapou agreed that there was a real need and potential to engage New Caledonia in framing cooperative measures in the areas of trade, education and human resource development, health, sports, culture, fisheries, technology transfer, security, humanitarian assistance, and people-to-people interactions.
DG Louma said that New Caledonia’s greater participation in the activities of the MSG, Pacific Islands Forum and other regional organisations would greatly benefit the region.
“We had a very frank and insightful discussion on the proposition for New Caledonia to be a Member of the MSG. I emphasised that the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) is a member of the MSG and its views on this matter will be crucial,” said DG Louma.
Another issue that was canvassed was in relation to the Trade Agreement between New Caledonia and Vanuatu and both expressed hope that outstanding issues can be resolved so that this mutually beneficial Trade Agreement can be concluded as soon as possible.
President Mapou indicated to the Director General that New Caledonia will be participating at the upcoming 7th Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival (MACFEST) in Port Vila in July this year.
DG Louma and President Mapou also exchanged views on the latest developments concerning AUKUS, a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, noting its implications to the spirit of the Rarotonga Treaty, and maintained that the MSG region should remain a Nuclear-Free Zone.
DG Louma assured President Mapou of the MSG Secretariat’s continuous support towards FLNKS’ political, social and economic ambitions and through that medium, facilitate the integration of New Caledonia into MSG.
Caption: DG Louma with the President of the Government of New Caledonia, His Excellency Louis Mapou.
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FeaturedVanuatu

MSG Marks 35 Years of Existence

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PORT VILA, VANUATU (15 March 2023): The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat marked 35 years of MSG’s existence at a ceremony which was officiated by the Vanuatu Prime Minister, Hon. Ishmael Kalsakau yesterday.
In his keynote address, Director General, Leonard Louma, welcomed the Prime Minister and his entourage saying his presence was significant as he is also Chairman of the MSG, and Chief of the land on which the Secretariat sits.
DG Louma said the Secretariat is confident that under Hon. Kalsakau’s Chairmanship, “we can take our cooperative relationship in MSG to a higher level”.
Vanuatu he said has been a leader, in its own right, within the MSG.
“Under your leadership and Chairmanship, I know that the “spearhead” in the MSG spear will be sharpened again to defend and protect our interests. But more importantly, if needed, can be used to pierce through blockages in search of solutions to challenges that confront our membership,” he stated.
MSG he added, has a proud history of enterprise; pushing through issues in our region that may seem too difficult for others to subscribe to or comprehend. MSG has successfully prosecuted those difficult issues, he added.
The Secretariat he said, notes that Vanuatu has proposed two very noble initiatives that fall in the same ‘pedigree’ of difficult issues – the ICJ initiative on climate change responsibility and the Treaty of Non-Proliferation of Fossil Fuel. These are the sorts of issues that sets MSG apart from the others in the region.
The Secretariat is excited over these two issues and he assured that it will do whatever it can to assist the MSG membership support these initiatives and garner support from the international community.
In his keynote address, the Hon Prime Minister said at the time of MSG’s inception, many cynics were sceptical about our vision, relevance and cohesion as a group.
“Many political observers derided our sub-regional efforts in cooperation as divisive and destructive to regional cooperation. We have proven the cynics and sceptics wrong,” he stated.
The Prime Minister stated that MSG is still viable and “we are still forging ahead with the pursuit of our social, political, economic and security interests underscoring our resoluteness, tenacity and resilience as Melanesian people.
“Sub-regionalism is no longer frowned upon but now regarded as a building block for stronger regional cooperation as exemplified in the PIF regional architecture changes incorporated in the Blue Ocean Continent. MSG sub-regionalism has been vindicated,” he said.
Hon. Kalsalau paid special tribute to past Leaders of the MSG for their steadfast resolve, unwavering commitment and dedication to the noble objectives of cooperation within the MSG.
He said that while the MSG has achieved a lot like the successful inscription of New Caledonia on the decolonization list in the United Nations; Leaders signing of the MSG Treaty on the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Cultures; and the Skills Movement Scheme in 2012 to facilitate employment of our people across the MSG borders, among many others, there is still much to do.
“MSG is the largest grouping, by any measure, in the Pacific Islands Forum family. We must assert a leadership role in the Region and “spearhead” initiatives as our name suggests,” he emphasized.
He stated that during his tenure as Chairman, he wants the Secretariat to assist Members bring to a closure many of the outstanding issues including the operationalization of the MSG Trade Agreement; promotion of the Skills Movement Scheme (SMS) so our people can fully take advantage of it; and the required domestic legislation on the Traditional Knowledge and Expression of Culture to be enacted in the other MSG countries, among other issues.
“As we journey into the future, we must remain committed to stand in solidarity and in unity to forge meaningful pathways forward for the benefit of all our people and where no-one is left behind,” he added.
The links below contain the full remarks by the MSG Chair and MSG Secretariat Director General.
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Oceania Asia

MSG receives over VT10M from Indonesian National Police

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The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat formally received a voluntary contribution of 100,000USD (VT10.9 million) from the Indonesian National Police (INP) on Tuesday.

According to a statement by the MSG Secretariat, this contribution will aid the formulation of the MSG Regional Security Strategy (RSS).

This was made possible following a virtual handover ceremony between the two organisations, formally signed by the Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Mr Leonard Louma, OBE, and Head of the International Cooperation Division, INP, Police Inspector General Johni Asadoma.

In his remarks, DG Louma expressed deep appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, through the Indonesian National Police for supporting the development of the RSS, a member to the Working Group (WG). He also expressed his appreciation to the Chair of the RSS WG Meeting and Commander of the Fiji Military Forces, Major General Jone Kalouniwai for his ongoing support. DG Louma stated that the RSS WG was established to provide an avenue for discussing the development of the RSS, adding that in the face of the ever increasing and emerging threats to peace and security, it is incumbent on Members of the RSS WG to devise appropriate and relevant strategies to address common security challenges. “The importance of MSG RSS cannot be overstated. The current animated discussions on the Solomon Islands Government decisions with respect to its own security arrangements and the absence of Pacific Island input into the Indo-Pacific security narrative underscore the need for developing a RSS based on our needs and interests,” he emphasised.

He said the Agreement Establishing the MSG (in Article 3) recognises the importance of aligning policies to further advance MSG members’ shared goals of peace and security. He further emphasised the importance of the RSS to address common security threats and challenges in the MSG region for our future sustainable development and prosperity, as recognised in the MSG 2038 Prosperity for All Plan. DG Louma stated that strategy had five strategic priorities, each of which was informed by common security challenges facing the MSG region, and captures both traditional and non-traditional emerging security threats. He alluded to the existing MSG agreements and cooperation on the Formed Police Unit and the Humanitarian Emergency Response Coordinating Centre (HERCC) as supporting instruments that would complement the MSG Regional Security Strategy.

DG Louma hopes that the five identified strategic priorities of the MSG Security Strategy will surely complement and add value to some of the existing regional security initiatives as the Pacific Islands Forum’s Boe’s declaration. He said the national threats within Members’ jurisdictions are some of the emerging security threats that must also be explored in the formulation of the MSG RSS.

In conclusion, DG Louma said that as Director General of the MSG Secretariat, he will keep a keen eye on developments in the RSS. “While I am pleased to note the progress made to date, the Secretariat would obviously need adequate resources to be able to deliver on the Strategy,” he said. Finally, he echoed appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia for their contribution and unwavering commitment and support to the MSG.

The INP, in a statement, said that constructive engagement between Indonesia and the MSG will continue to be mutually beneficial, and will always be cemented by respect working relationship with each member. The INP is committed to hosting the 4th RSS WG meeting which was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is looking at the possibility of physically hosting the next 4th RSS WG Meeting in Indonesia at a time to be determined. The last RSS WP Meeting was held in Nadi, Fiji in 2019.

Source: http://vbr.vu/news

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Uncategorized

Pertemuan menteri keamanan MSG, strategi sub-regional topik utama

by mnews
written by mnews
Direktur Jenderal MSG, Amena Yauvoli, dengan Menteri Pertahanan dan Keamanan Nasional Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Pertemuan Strategi Keamanan Regional, Regional Security Strategy (RSS), MSG ke-2 di Hotel Tanoa International di Nadi pagi kemarin (26/7/2018). - Fiji Times/ Baljeet Singh

Direktur Jenderal MSG, Amena Yauvoli, dengan Menteri Pertahanan dan Keamanan Nasional Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Pertemuan Strategi Keamanan Regional, Regional Security Strategy (RSS), MSG ke-2 di Hotel Tanoa International di Nadi pagi kemarin (26/7/2018). – Fiji Times/ Baljeet Singh

Nadi, Jubi – Menteri Pertahanan dan Keamanan Nasional Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, telah meminta para pemimpin Melanesia, untuk mengatasi dengan tepat dan sigap semua ancaman internal dan eksternal, yang dapat bereskalasi menjadi isu-isu yang lebih besar.

Ratu Inoke mengemukakan hal ini dalam pembukaan pertemuan Strategi Keamanan Regional (RSS) MSG ke-2, di Hotel Tanoa International di Nadi pagi kemarin (26/7/2018), seraya menggarisbawahi pesatnya pembangunan dan banyaknya sumber daya sub regional yang tersedia di negara-negara Melanesia.

“Dalam upaya untuk meningkat dan memperkuat kerja sama sub regionalisme, kita telah menjadi lebih rentan terhadap berbagai ancaman keamanan internal dan eksternal, karena lokasi kita yang merupakan pintu gerbang ke Asia dan Pasifik; dan jika ancaman-ancaman ini tidak ditangani dengan tepat, mereka dapat meningkat menjadi masalah yang jauh lebih besar,” menurut Ratu Inoke.

Ancaman atau masalah keamanan kompleks dan multifaset yang dimaksud oleh Ratu Inoke, termasuk penangkapan ikan yang ilegal, tidak diatur, dan tidak dilaporkan (illegal, unreported, unregulated/IUU fishing), kejahatan terorganisasi transnasional, penyelundupan narkoba, perdagangan manusia, keamanan dunia maya, perubahan iklim, serta ancaman-ancaman non-tradisional lainnya.

“Tantangan yang terus berkembang seperti ini perlu ditangani dengan upaya kolaboratif bersama, dan oleh karena itu sebuah dokumen yang menyeluruh untuk mengatasi masalah ini diperlukan di dalam RSS.”

Ratu Inoke menerangkan setiap negara anggota MSG, juga dalam proses menyusun strategi keamanan nasional mereka masing-masing. Proses setiap negara ini akan melengkapi penyusunan RSS saat ini.

Pertemuan dua hari itu dihadiri oleh delegasi dari Fiji, Vanuatu, Kepulauan Solomon, dan Indonesia, semuanya negara yang akan bekerja sama dalam mengembangkan strategi keamanan kolaboratif wilayah MSG. Namun, pertemuan itu tidak dihadiri delegasi dari Papua Nugini.

Sementara itu, MSG berencana untuk mengerahkan satu unit polisi, yang terdiri dari 30 personel dari negara-negara anggotanya untuk membantu polisi nasional PNG, Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, selama KTT APEC November mendatang. (Fiji Times)

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FeaturedPapua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea begins finalizing preparations to host the 21st MSG Leaders’ Summit

by mnews
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Acting Secretary, Ms. Agelavu (4th from right) and DG Amena Yauvoli (3rd from right) with delegation from the MSG Secretariat & officials from the PNG Department of Foreign Affairs

Acting Secretary, Ms. Agelavu (4th from right) and DG Amena Yauvoli (3rd from right) with delegation from the MSG Secretariat & officials from the PNG Department of Foreign Affairs


The Director General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat, Ambassador Amena Yauvoli is in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from 17-19 January to meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Rimbink Pato, Acting Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Barbara Age, Commissioner of Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) and other senior Government Officials.
The purpose of the visit is to begin finalizing preparations for the upcoming 21st MSG Leaders’ Summit that will take place from 10-15 February 2018 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
The Director General reaffirms the MSG Secretariat’s full commitment to provide the necessary support to assist PNG host a successful Leaders Summit. He also emphasized the significance of the Leaders’ Summit as Papua New Guinea will assume the chairmanship of the MSG and its Constituent Bodies. The Director General informed PNG that the Secretariat is working round the clock to ensure all meeting papers are ready.
The Acting Secretary Ms. Age also emphasized that the priority for PNG at this Leaders’ Summit is focusing on Sustainable Development goals as outlined in the MSG 2038 Prosperity for all Plan. The theme for the Summit will therefore relate to peace and prosperity in the MSG. The PNG Government is undertaking necessary preparations to ensure the Leaders Summit is a success.
The Director General also met with the Acting Police Commissioner Jim Andrews to discuss the proposed Police Commissioners Conference (PCC) and Police Minister Meeting (PMM). The Police Ministers Meeting is convening to consider implementation of mandates relating to security issues, in particular the MSG security Assistance to PNG during the APEC Meeting. It is anticipated that detail discussions are going to take place with recommendations for Leaders endorsement.
Following the consultations, MSG members will be informed of the details of the organization of the 21st Leaders Summit so as to engender full and effective preparations.
Considering the time constraints ahead of the summit, both DG Yauvoli and Acting Secretary Age recognizes the pivotal importance of continuing our collaborations to ensure that all preparations are finalized before the summit and its constituent body meeting kick start.
18 January 2018, Port Moresby, PNG
SourceL http://www.msgsec.info

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