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Manele joins MSG leaders in calling on France to return to dialogue on NC

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MSG leaders in Japan today
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The leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has issued a joint statement at the margins of the PALM 10, calling on the Administrating Power (France) to return to dialogue with the signatories of the 1998 Noumea Accord.

The 1998 Noumea Accord, amongst other things, presented three referendums to be held over time to determine two status- whether for New Caledonia to be independent from France or to remain under France. The first referendum was held in 2018 and the second one in 2020.

The MSG leaders in Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka of Fiji, Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele of Solomon Islands and Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas of Vanuatu have called for fresh dialogue between the Administering Power (France) and the signatories of the Noumea Accord.

The leaders have also called on the Administering Power to withdraw the proposed amendment to unfreeze the electoral roll for Provincial elections- the very issue that sparked the unrest in Noumea, New Caledonia.

In the latest buildup of military hardware in Noumea, the leaders expressed strong opposition to what they have termed as “apparent militarization of New Caledonia” since 13 of May 2024.

The MSG leaders have strongly opposed the third referendum which was conducted during the height of the COVID 19 and resulted in less than 50 percent of the voting population participated.

The MSG leaders stated that the third referendum did not take into account “the unprecedented challenges imposed on the indigenous peoples by COVID- 19, restriction to movement of people, lack of clarity on election timelines, the difficulties in organizing campaigns and customary mourning rituals…”

The leaders further stated that this is not in accordance with UN principles for a fair and “unfettered process to be expressed by the indigenous peoples concerned…” during COVID- 19 and therefore describing the third referendum outcome as “…illegitimate and null and void”.

The MSG leaders called for a fresh third referendum with supervision by United Nations experts and observation missions “for the actual independence referendum to determine the political future of New Caledonia”.

Amongst other strong recommendations, the MSG leaders called on France to allow a UN- MSG mission to visit New Caledonia to assess the political and socioeconomic status and propose ways for addressing the situation in New Caledonia.

The leaders have also put forward that Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to consider the situation in New Caledonia in its upcoming meeting in Tonga in August, further proposing that a member of MSG to be part of the PIF mission to visit New Caledonia.

  • OPMC Press Release

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