Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – Monday 12 October 2026: The National University of Vanuatu (NUV), the Office of the Public Service Commission (OPSC) of Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea’s Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance (SILAG) have signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Port Moresby on Monday, 12 October 2026, to strengthen cooperation in public sector education, professional training and institutional capacity development.
The agreement establishes a framework for the three institutions to work constructively together to identify the training needs of Vanuatu’s public service, design relevant and targeted training programmes, and support their effective delivery and assessment. The partnership aims to help ensure that public servants in Vanuatu have access to appropriate learning and professional development opportunities to strengthen their skills, competencies and contribution to national development.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance (SILAG) Mr. Michael Barobe, said that this MoU signing today deepens institutional links and practical collaboration between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, advancing knowledge-sharing and public sector leadership capacity across the Melanesian region and the broader Pacific.
“The MoU further builds stronger diplomatic and institutional bridges between Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, promoting broader regional cooperation across the Melanesian community, thus highlights a mutual dedication to improving public administration standards by combining regional resources with local strategic objectives,” said Mr. Barobe.
For the National University of Vanuatu, this partnership represents an important opportunity to strengthen its role as a national institution serving Vanuatu’s development priorities.
By working closely with the Office of the Public Service Commission and drawing on SILAG’s expertise in leadership and governance, NUV can contribute to developing accessible, relevant and high-quality training pathways that respond to the evolving needs of the public service and support the professional development of public servants throughout the country.
Beyond its immediate focus on public service development, the partnership represents an opportunity to strengthen institutional links between Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea and deepen cooperation across the Melanesian region. By fostering knowledge-sharing and practical collaboration, the three institutions aim to contribute to stronger regional partnerships an support the development of public sector leadership and governance capacity in the Pacific.
Photo credit : SILAG
