Port Vila, Vanuatu | 19 August 2026
The Director General (DG) of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat, Dr Anna Naupa, yesterday briefed New York-based MSG Permanent Representatives to the United Nations (PRUNs) and officials on her vision and the Secretariat’s priorities under her leadership.
A key priority highlighted by Dr Naupa is the implementation of the decision of the 22nd MSG Leaders’ Summit in 2023, which directed the Secretariat to pursue observer status at the United Nations and other international organisations.
The virtual briefing provided an opportunity for the PRUNs to engage with Dr Naupa following her assumption of office and to discuss priorities of mutual interest.
Participants also discussed a range of issues, including:
· Collaboration and support for La Cause Kanak through the United Nations Committee on Decolonization (C-24);
· Engagement with the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP); and
· Other multilateral processes relevant to MSG members’ priorities in climate change, ocean governance, and security, including:
o the upcoming pre-COP31 meeting to be hosted by Fiji in October 2026;
o the first Conference of the Parties to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement in January 2027; and
o ongoing reforms of the United Nations Security Council and UN peacekeeping mechanisms.
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Dr Naupa expressed her appreciation to the MSG PRUNs for their valuable guidance and continued support in ensuring that the MSG Secretariat remains responsive to members’ priorities.
She also acknowledged the leadership of the MSG Chair, through the Permanent Mission of Fiji to the United Nations, and Ambassador Filipo Tarakinikini for facilitating the virtual meeting. The meeting marked the third such engagement convened under Fiji’s leadership.
Dr Naupa reaffirmed the Secretariat’s commitment to working closely with member governments, Permanent Representatives, and regional partners to advance cooperation, solidarity, and sustainable development across Melanesia.
She was supported at the meeting by the Secretariat’s Political, Security and Legal Affairs Team.
