Page 14 - IB September 2024

Forum Leaders Meeting Forum Leaders Meeting

United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, addresses the meeting of Pacific Islands Forum leaders in Tonga. Photo: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

FORUM DEBATES FRENCH COLONIALISM,

CHINA AND CLIMATE CHANGE

By Nic Maclellan topics for discussion).
Behind the scenes in Nuku’alofa, French diplomats met
As Presidents, Prime Ministers and Premiers assembled with New Caledonian officials, to thrash out new terms of
in the Kingdom of Tonga for the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum reference for the proposed mission. The New Caledonians
Leaders Meeting (PIFLM), the region’s Blue Pacific agenda were backed by Forum Secretariat staff and senior officials
was overshadowed by geopolitical jousting and heightened like Fijian Ambassador, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola; Forum Deputy
awareness of French colonialism. Secretary General, Esala Nayasi; and Australia’s Special Envoy,
Emerging without a headline declaration, this year’s Forum Ewen McDonald.
in Nuku’alofa saw leaders get down to work - moving forward
to approve the Pacific Resilience Facility, launch a Regional Anger at the French
Kava Development Strategy and preparations for the UN Despite public smiles and pledges of co-operation, many
Ocean Conference next June, and promote initiatives around leaders told Islands Business about their anger at the conduct
health, education, climate action and nuclear legacies. of French diplomats.
However, the presence of a growing number of international The same anger is evident in Noumea: leading New
delegations at the annual summit led to geopolitical jousting Caledonian researcher, Pierre-Christophe Pantz wrote: “The
between the People’s Republic of China, the United States and crisis in New Caledonia is amplifying regional support for the
its allies, amidst debates over regional security and the lack demand for independence and risks permanently tarnishing
of resources allocated to climate action. France’s image in the region.”
These conflicting visions of security were framed by the These concerns were echoed by the President of French
ongoing crisis in New Caledonia, and the delayed Troika Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, who told Islands Business that
monitoring mission to Noumea (derailed last month by French diplomacy in the region had been damaged by the
differences between the French State and Government of New French State’s backtracking on decolonisation since 2021. He
Caledonia over who would control the program, itinerary and said that this was affecting France’s standing in the Asia-

14 Islands Business, September 2024