Bougainville's Future Relations with Pacific Organisations
Patrick Nomos | 7 February 2020
Bougainville would greatly benefit from becoming a member or observer of Pacific regional and international organisations and agencies. Prominent among these are the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and The Pacific Community (SPC). Summaries of the focus and activities of each of these organisations and agencies are presented as an annex to this article.
On first reading, the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) appears to place external relations entirely under PNG Government control, thus placing severe limitations on the freedom of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) to manoeuvre in the international arena. Among other things, this would seem to disqualify Bougainville from applying to become a member or observer of the MSG, PIF, FFA, PNA or SPC. However, closer inspection of the BPA and the Constitutional Amendments reveals greater possibilities for the ABG to participate in international relations.
While the PNG Government's control over foreign relations is established in Para.51 of the BPA, Section 6(b) clearly shows that the ABG has a role to play. Para.69 states that "mechanisms for consultation in agreed areas of foreign affairs" will be established. PNG's National Executive Council "may allow Bougainville to send a representative or observer to regional meetings and organizations" (Para.70). The Bougainville government may "request" the PNG Government to participate "in negotiation of international agreements of particular relevance to Bougainville" (Para.75). For fishery negotiations involving Bougainville waters, the Bougainville government will be represented (Para.85).
A 2007 paper examining the existing and potential international links of three autonomous regions in South-East Asia (Mindanao and Aceh) and the Pacific (Bougainville), notes, "While it has been generally accepted that autonomous regions do not exercise traditional foreign affairs powers, it is becoming clear that autonomous regions are engaged with organisations and entities that lie beyond their borders and those of their parent state.
They have entered trade agreements, negotiated cooperation treaties, made accords on transport and communications, and signed memoranda of understanding on cultural and sporting exchanges. It is now widely believed that in a globalizing world where territorial boundaries are of decreasing importance for economic and social activities that the active development of external relations by autonomous regions can be of considerable benefit to the welfare of their populations. Such relations may well be essential for the viability and progress of the autonomous regions".
Given these precedents, the relevant paragraphs of the BPA and the Constitutional Amendments, and the recent overwhelming referendum result in favour of Bougainville's independence from PNG, there is a strong argument for PNG to facilitate Bougainville's application for membership or observer status of Pacific regional and international organisations and agencies. At the very least, PNG should facilitate participation by ABG representatives in PNG Government delegations attending meetings of the MSG, PIF, FFA, PNA, SPC, and other forums of relevance to Bougainville.
With respect to fisheries issues, this obligation is stipulated in the 2018 "Memorandum Of Understanding between the PNG National Fisheries Authority and the ABG for the framework on the transfer of fisheries functions and powers from the PNG National Government to the ABG".
Map: Pacific Region by broad ethnic groupings
Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)
The MSG, founded as a political gathering in 1986, is an intergovernmental organisation, composed of the four Melanesian states of Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia. In 2015, Indonesia was recognized as an associate member.
The MSG was formed with a focus to promote economic growth among Melanesian countries. Its purposes are: (1) to promote and strengthen inter-membership trade, exchange of Melanesian cultures, traditions, values and sovereign equality; (2) to foster economic and technical cooperation between the members; and (3) to align members' policies and further members' shared goals of economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security.
In a 2018 Lowy Institute paper, Luke Dawes states, "...the MSG should extend the benefits of existing MSG initiatives specifically to New Caledonians and Bougainville residents. This will demonstrate that the MSG has something valuable to offer, while it works on a roadmap to full membership for new states in the South Pacific. Benefits could include separate quotas for New Caledonia and Bougainville as part of the MSG Skills Movement Scheme, which aims to promote labour mobility, and considering applications for observer status" .
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
The PIF is an inter-governmental organisation that aims to enhance cooperation between countries and territories of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum but underwent a name-change in 1999 so as to be more inclusive of the Forum's Oceania-spanning membership of north and south Pacific island countries. The PIF's mission is to work in support of Forum member governments, to enhance the economic and social well-being of the people of the Pacific by fostering cooperation between governments and between international agencies, and by representing the interests of Forum members in ways agreed by the Forum.
All Pacific Island nations and territories in Oceania are either members or observer states of the PIF, with the exception of the British Overseas Territory of the Pitcairn Islands. In 2011 the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands were granted PIF observer status while in 2016 the French territories of French Polynesia and New Caledonia were granted full membership. In addition, East Timor is an observer despite usually being regarded as part of South East Asia.
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)
The FFA is an inter-governmental agency established in 1979 to facilitate regional co-operation and co-ordination on fisheries policies between its member states in order to achieve conservation and optimum utilisation of living marine resources, in particular highly migratory fish stocks, for the benefit of the peoples of the region, in particular the developing countries. The FFA Secretariat is based at Honiara, Solomon Islands.
As well as its policy coordination functions in tuna fisheries management, and monitoring, control and surveillance, the FFA Secretariat also has a substantial role in assisting its member countries in tuna fisheries development, including economic analysis, appraisal and promotion of investment opportunities, and in upgrading national standards that maintain access to major foreign markets. The FFA has seventeen members, including many small island developing states. PNG is a leading member of the FFA.
The Pacific Community (SPC)
The SPC is an international development organisation governed by its 26 country and territory members, based at Noumea, New Caledonia with regional offices at Suva, Fiji, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia and Port Vila, Vanuatu.
It is focused on development issues within the region's context, including climate change, disaster risk-management, fisheries, food security, education, gender equality, human rights, non-communicable diseases, agriculture, forestry and land use, water resources and youth employment.
The SPC facilitates the sharing of technical experience and knowledge, and helps to implement specific development projects and activities in support of its members.