-French Polynesia and New Caledonia, both UN-listed non-sovereign territories to be decolonised, are this week sending delegations to New York to attend the UN’s 4th committee on decolonisation.
This year both pro and anti-independence petitioners are attending.
Since 2013, when French Polynesia was re-inscribed on the list of non-sovereign territories to be decolonised, the strongest delegation has been lead by pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira (which since 2023 has returned to power), backed by numerous petitioners also delivering speeches, including the Ma’ohi Protestant Church and the nuclear tests veterans associations.
French Polynesia’s government, chaired by President Moetai Brotherson, said it would join later this week.
In 2023, for the first time since French Polynesia’s re-inscription, and after years of snubbing, the French representation at the UN sent its representative to be present during the petitioners’ speeches.
This year, Tavini Huiraatira is sending no less than 17 representatives to New York.
Speaking in favour of French Polynesia’s independence from France, the administering power, Élise Vanaa said she hopes France’s representatives will engage in talks.
“We will remind France of its obligations as the administering power of this country that it must open this dialogue,” she told public broadcaster Polynésie la 1ère.
“We are not enemies. We want France to come and start to discuss to accompany us towards this decolonisation process.”
But this year, the pro-autonomy camp, which is opposed to independence, is also sending a delegation, with four petitioners.
They are local Tapura MP Tepuaraurii Teriitahai, French Polynesia’s MP representative at the French National Assembly Moerani Frebault, Hao Lady Mayor Yseult Butcher-Ferry and French Polynesia’s Senator in the French Senate, Teva Rohfritsch.
In French Polynesia, parties opposed to independence are called “pro-autonomy”, in reference to French Polynesia’s current “autonomy” status.
Tepuirarurii Territahi, who represents Tapura, one of the main pro-autonomy parties, said unlike in the past, they want to ensure their voice is heard at the UN.
“If only their voice is heard at the UN tribune, then only their version is heard,” she said.
“So our role is to deliver the other version of the story. And to stress that the majority of Polynesians are not for independence and are deeply attached to autonomy.
“We keep getting messages from many people asking us: ‘Don’t let them speak and send false messages on behalf of (French) Polynesians. You have to go there and restore the truth’”
The pro-France delegation said it also intends to formally invite the UN to send a mission to French Polynesia “so they can see for themselves and make their own opinion”.
Last month, French Polynesia’s former president and veteran politician Gaston Flosse called on the French government to start talks with the French Pacific territory about a possible upgraded new status.
Flosse is one of the brain fathers of French Polynesia’s autonomy status.
He made the call as French Polynesia was marking the 40th anniversary of its “internal autonomy” status, introduced in September 1984.
The 1984 status introduced a flag, an anthem, a president, a local assembly and a local government for French Polynesia.
It also gave local control of some portfolios – such as health, economy and education – to local authorities.
But justice, defence, currency, security and foreign affairs remain with France.
Forty years later, Flosse said the 1984 internal status was updated three times (in 1990, 1996 and 2004), but it has now “reached its limits”.
“So what now?…We must go forward and I believe France shouldn’t wait until we face the same problems as New Caledonia,” he told Tahiti Nui Television.
“France must talk with French Polynesia to reach a new agreement (for a new status).
“I think the right status for us is a sovereign country in free association with France.”
Flosse, 93, said he rejects the full independence option which, in his view, is “not tenable, not liveable”, mainly for financial reasons.
New Caledonia is also planning to send a significant delegation to New York, including the pro-independence side and another group from the anti-independence (Loyalists) parties.
In the wake of insurrectional unrest that broke out on 13 May, triggered by protests from the pro-independence indigenous Kanak camp against a now-scrapped Constitutional Bill to modify the conditions of eligibility at local elections, the anti-independence parties also want to make their voice heard in New York.
They have prepared a long presentation and documents (in English) supporting their stance, including the notion of a “Coup d’Etat” which, in their view, was attempted in May.
They also intend to invite the UN to send a fact-finding mission to the French Pacific archipelago.
In recent weeks, anti-independence parties have admitted there was much room for improvement on the way they communicate with the Pacific region and more generally, the rest of the world.
They did acknowledge that in this regional and global communication war of words, the pro-independence movement was much better organised.
New Caledonia’s riots have, since 13 May, caused the death of 13 people (including 2 gendarmes), hundreds of injured, as well as arson and looting, damages to business and loss of jobs.
Last week, newly-appointed French Prime Minister Michel Barnier announced that a top-level delegation, headed by the Presidents of both Parliament Chambers (the Senate and the National Assembly), would travel “soon” to New Caledonia, with the main objective of restoring dialogue between opposing parties.
Barnier said he would travel there, later, “when the time is right”
Barnier also announced that French President Emanuel Macron intended to host a meeting with New Caledonia’s political players sometime in November.
