Insight for Sunday 22 June 2008

Of New Zealand's neighbouring sub-regions, Melanesia remains the most plagued by political and social instability.

But the leaders of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji and Solomon Islands converged in Port Vila last month for the first Melanesian Spearhead Group summit at the newly opened MSG Secretariat.

It's been called the start of a new era for Melanesia, but can this diverse and resource-rich grouping gain enough cohesion to shrug off the "failed state" tags that have been applied to all of its members in recent years?