Melanesian Spearhead Group - MSG (original) (raw)

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Groupe Mélanésien Fer de Lance (GMFL)

Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
Keywords: [international organization](keywordi.html#international organization) | msg | melanesia |
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[ ](../images/i/int-msg.gif)
image by Zoltan Horvath, 21 November 2011

• Overview
• The Flag
• Flag Variant

See also:

• International Organizations

Overview

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG, French: Groupe Mélanésien Fer de Lance" (GMFL)) is composed of Fiji (observer until 1996), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and FLNKS (New Caledonia). The "Agreed Principles of Cooperation Among the Independent States in Melanesia" was signed on 14 March 1988, following an informal meeting held on 17 July 1986 in Goroka, Papua New Guinea. The Secretariat of the MSG was formally established on 30 May 2008 in Port-Vila, Vanuatu. Indonesia and Timor Leste were granted the observer status during the 18th Summit held on 31 March 2011 in Suva, Fiji.
Source: MSG Secretariate website
Ivan Sache, 05 November 2011

The Flag

A photo published by the PINA news agency shows a row of flags, hoisted in front of the MSG Secretariate in Port-Vila, from left to right: Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, FLNKS and MSG. The flag of MSG is white with the organization's emblem in the middle. The emblem of MSG is a disk horizontally divided green-blue, with a white spearhead placed horizontally, shaped like a sailing boat leaving a wake. <http://www.pina.com.fj/?p=pacnews&m=read&o=12290557464e72e822d109d371e6be
The flag, the first MSG ever had, was unveiled in October 2010. The designer is Florence Toka, from Vanuatu. The article says that the MSG was originally set up to back up the claim of FLNKS to independence.http://www.tahiti-infos.com/Le-Groupe-Melanesien-Fer-de-Lance-fait-flotter-son-nouveau-drapeau_a10408.html
Tahiti Infos, 6 October 2010 [the flag presented as "the MSG flag" is indeed the FLNKS flag. The flag of MSG is not shown on the photo, either.]
Ivan Sache, 05 November 2011

Radio New Zealand International reported on 05 October, 2010. Melanesian Spearhead Group now has an official flag. Article:
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=56268
Images of flag:
http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=read&o=21460199074d926213dc3c99bdbc11
http://www.msgsec.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=125
Zoltan Horvath, 21 November 2011

Flag Variant

[ ](../images/i/int-msg1.gif)
image by Ivan Sache, 05 November 2011