The 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture

2014 has been designated by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of Small Island Developing States .
The International Year aims to build momentum towards the SIDS 2014 International Conference (Samoa, 1 – 4 September 2014), mobilize international interest and support for sustainable development in SIDS, highlight the achievement of SIDS efforts in overcoming their unique development challenges, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of SIDS and the contributions of SIDS to the global community.

As a contribution of the heritage community to the 2014 SIDS Year, the Secretariat of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) will organise a series of events to celebrate the Year from 30 June to 3 July 2014 in Port Moresby, PNG, on the occasion of the 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture that will be held under the topic of Celebrating Cultural Diversity.

With UNESCO support, Pacific Island Museum Association (PIMA) will organise a Melanesian Museum Workshop on Fight against Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Objects from 7 to 8 July 2014 at the PNG National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby.