The Chairperson of the Pacific Islands Forum and Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Mark Brown, has announced that the Forum Troika-led mission to New Caledonia has been postponed until after the 53rd PIF Leaders meeting in Tonga.
In a recent statement, Brown mentioned that earlier this month, PIF leaders had consented to the deployment of a mission to New Caledonia following unrest that began on May 13. The mission was intended to brief Pacific Island Leaders during the upcoming meeting in Tonga, originally scheduled for this week.
However, Prime Minister Brown noted that the New Caledonia Government has raised multiple concerns regarding due process and protocol that must be resolved prior to the Troika’s visit. He stated that the Forum Troika has decided to delay the mission to allow additional time to address these issues.
Brown assured that the situation in New Caledonia would be a topic of discussion at the Leaders’ meeting, which aims to provide further direction for supporting the situation. He indicated that the Forum Secretariat has been coordinating with the French State and the Government of New Caledonia to ensure that the objectives of the Troika-led mission align with the expectations of all involved parties.
This initiative was requested by New Caledonia’s President, Louis Mapou, and subsequently approved by the French State. The mission will be led by Prime Minister Brown himself, along with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka of Fiji and Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, all members of the current Forum Troika.
Brown reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to supporting New Caledonia during this challenging period, including through the impending Troika-led mission at a mutually agreed time.