Jayapura – The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat formally presented the call by Pacific and MSG leaders for a UN human rights mission to West Papua and the Indonesian provinces of Papua during the 19th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva on July 25.
The presentation aims to push for Pacific leaders' long-standing request for a visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the region.
This call was first endorsed by Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders in 2019, reaffirmed by MSG leaders at their 2023 summit in Port Vila, and reiterated by the PIF and MSG during their 2025 leaders' meeting.
The EMRIP is an advisory body to the UN Human Rights Council that provides expert guidance on the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Acting Director-General Ilan Kiloe said the meeting in Geneva marked an important step in implementing the decisions made by Pacific and Melanesian leaders.
"This is a small but significant step towards implementing the leaders' decision to advance the voices of Melanesian peoples on the international stage and demonstrates the organisation's strong commitment to promoting justice, human rights, and the rights of indigenous peoples", said Kiloe.
Kiloe added that the MSG Secretariat will continue to build on its advocacy for indigenous peoples' rights following its involvement in the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion process on state obligations related to climate change.
During their mission in Geneva, the MSG delegation also held meetings with senior UN officials and experts, including representatives from the EMRIP, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), UN treaty bodies, the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples and the UN youth office.
The visit concluded with a briefing for the ambassadors and permanent representatives of the MSG to the UN in Geneva led by Vanuatu's Ambassador Sylvain Kalsakau at the Permanent Mission of the Pacific Islands Forum.
Indonesia asserts that Papua is an integral part of its territory and has consistently expressed its commitment to development and protecting the rights of all its citizens.
The Pacific leaders' call for a UN human rights visit is still under discussion within the UN human rights mechanism.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "MSG Desak Dewan HAM PBB Mendorong Seruan Lama Kunjungi Papua".]
Source: https://suarapapua.com/2026/07/26/msg-desak-dewan-ham-pbb-mendorong-seruan-lama-kunjungi-papua