Pacific Politics Revamped from an Island Perspective
JOHNNY BLADES Melanesian grouping of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands reconsider their regional links They've come a long way from trading fish and coconuts. There's discord in the Melanesian Spearhead Group over the accession of Fiji to the chairmanship, a battle that reflects recognition of the growing importance of Melanesia as global demand for resources heats up. That wasn't always the case. The inception of the group, initially as a trade bloc, in the mid-1980s drew derision from some. Vanuatu's ambassador at the EU, Roy Mickey Joy, remembers when they started negotiations for the MSG trade agreement: "The reaction we got from Canberra and Wellington was 'what are the Melanesians going to trade with, fish and coconuts?'" Since then, there's been a shift in global economic policy, says Mickey Joy. The group now has a bigger role to play in the region and beyond. These days, the MSG – whose full members are Papua New Guinea,