The chair of Vanuatu's West Papua Unification Committee is confident next week's summit will produce a united West Papuan bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
About 200 West Papuans are expected at the conference, which is to begin from the 1st of December, following a march of solidarity for the West Papuan people in Port Vila.
A formal membership application by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation was knocked back by the MSG earlier this year, whose leaders called for a more representative bid.
Members of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua at a Melanesian Spearhead Group summit in 2013: Paula Makabori, Dr John Ondawame, Rex Rumakiek Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
The chair of Vanuatu's West Papua Unification Committee, Pastor Allan Nafuki, says he expects they will be able to deliver such a bid by the end of the summit.
"By this summit we expect all of them will sign requesting membership for MSG. Yes, I'm confident that this is one of our main highlights in our summit."
Pastor Allan Nafuki.
