The Vanuatu foreign minister, Ralph Regenvanu, is intending to submit a resolution calling for West Papua to be inscribed on the United Nations de-colonisation list at next year's General Assembly.

Photo: Vanuatu government

The Vanuatu prime minister, Charlot Salwai, is to take the draft of this resolution to the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Nauru next month.

The Daily Post reported this comes after Vanuatu presented the draft during last week's Pacific foreign ministers' meeting in Apia.

The newspaper reported that at the Apia meeting Vanuatu got support from some Forum members but Australia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji reportedly expressed reservations.

Mr Salwai said he will now take the draft to Nauru and Vanuatu's newly appointed special envoy for West Papua, Lora Lini, said some Forum members have indicated they will back this.