A high-level delegation consisting of three members is set to embark on a mission to New Caledonia before the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders (PIF) Meeting in Tonga on August 26, according to PIF chair Mark Brown. Brown, who also serves as the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, made this announcement during the PIF Foreign Ministers Meeting on Friday, following French President Emmanuel Macron’s approval of the mission.
Véronique Roger-Lacan, the French Ambassador to the Pacific, emphasized the importance of collaboratively assessing the situation in New Caledonia with France. Brown noted that Tonga’s Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni may not participate due to other commitments ahead of the leaders’ meeting. If this is the case, the next troika member, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Menele, would take his place.
The delegation will include Brown and Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. They will address the sensitive political dynamics surrounding New Caledonia’s relationship with both the Forum and France, which governs the territory. Brown highlighted the Forum’s commitment to reducing recent violence and promoting dialogue as a path forward.
He mentioned that the timing of the mission will be determined by the troika members, which includes the current chair, the previous chair, and the incoming chair. Additionally, New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters stated that the specific role New Zealand will play in the New Caledonia mission is still under discussion, emphasizing the need for a peaceful and sustainable economic outcome for the region. Peters anticipates that multiple delegations may be sent to New Caledonia over time.