The Pacific Community is marking its 70th anniversary this year on 27-28 July.
Since 1947 the South Pacific Commission (SPC) has been the region’s principal scientific and technical organisation. Representatives from its 26 member countries and territories will meet at the SPC’s headquarters in Noumea from on this day for the biennial Conference of the Pacific Community which will conclude with the official anniversary celebrations on Friday 28 July.

As fifth from the left sitting in front: Marcus Wonggor Kaisiëpo Ms.  representing founding SPC member West Papua at the first South Pacific Commission meeting held on the 5th of April 1950 in Suva, Fiji.

With a smoke screen created around West Papua’s membership to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) which is being disputed for almost two years, the member-recognition back in 1947 by the SPC authority has been in effect ever since. Pacific ties can be simply restored and executed again as the SPC membership of West Papua has never been revoked.

Three moments in West Papua Melanesia’s political history make that the Republic of Indonesia for a fact is occupying an ever since the early years recognized Pacific nation.

1. The original 1945 Proklamasi Sukarno-Hatta was from “A till A” (Atjeh till Ambon), and did NOT include West Papua. Because on that same day West Papua tribal leaders led by Marcus Wonggor Kaisiëpo Ms., issued a statement in Kota Nica to Colonel Raden Abdulkadir Widjojoatmodjo of the NICA (Netherlands-Indies Civil Administration) which was governing West Papua. The message was plain and simple: “West Papua Melanesia would determine its own future hence will never become part of the Indonesian Federation/R.I.S.”. As from that moment any historical claim of Indonesia on West Papua is not funded as this 1945 Kota Nica statement widely expressed the Will of the West Papua people.

2. On this basis the 1947 Canberra Agreement between Pacific States and western states (U.S., Netherlands, France, Ireland Australia, N-Zealand) was signed, recognizing West Papua as a nation and recognizing it’s Melanesian territorial borders by establishing the South Pacific Commission. As founding SPC members West Papua leaders attended the plenary sessions of the SPC ever since 1950.

3. In follow up of the 1947 Canberra cooperation the Pacific territorial waters were recognized by the 1951 ANZUS Treaty. With this ANZUS treaty which is still in effect, the Melanesian territorial borders and waters of West Papua were harvested & safeguardeded.

Up till now Indonesia is in denyal of international law standards by considering West Papua within it’s own territorial integrity and considering the West Papua conflict as a domestic issue. It is for a fact that the since 1947 undisputed territorial Melanesian borders of West Papua have been breached by Indonesia ever since May 1963.

To re-implement and carry out the 1962 New York Agreement to its merites and purpose through the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24), thus remains a priority to fully exercise West Papua’s right to political independence.