French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson in Honiara for the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting from 8-12 September 2025. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Caleb Fotheringham
French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson is cautioning France not to lecture Pacific leaders, saying Paris has a chance to "reinvent" itself through decolonisation in New Caledonia.
Last week, Véronique Roger-Lacan told Pacific Waves that Paris had requested changes to the draft report on the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Troika-plus fact-finding mission to New Caledonia, by incorporating "neutral and balanced" language.
In late October 2024, a high-level delegation made up of the prime ministers of Cook Islands, Fiji and Tonga, and the Solomon Islands foreign minister visited the French territory to gather "information" following civil unrest.
"The information is aimed at informing the Pacific [and] PIF leaders about the real, true situation in New Caledonia, because there was so much disinformation in the Pacific press," Roger-Lacan said.
"We'll make sure that the draft report sticks to the terms of reference. It [was] an information mission, not a mediation mission. Therefore, it should be neutral and balanced, and the information that is in the report is accurate."
She told Pacific Waves France had made some comments requesting the report be written "in a more neutral manner to comply with the information[al] character of the draft report".
Brotherson said that, while he agreed with the change - adding a paragraph on the proposed Bougival Accord signed in July, he also had a message for France on respect.
"The Pacific Islands Forum is a mature organisation, and the [PIF] troika is comprised of very prominent members of the Forum. I'm not sure that... lecturing us on how we should do things is the way to go. There is enough wisdom in this organisation to know what to do," he told RNZ Pacific in Honiara.
According to Brotherson, the changes proposed by Paris to the document have been accepted, and the amended document at France's request will be sent to leaders for signing in Honiara this week.
"We had a very fruitful discussion [with Roger-Lacan] in Fiji. She addressed those concerns and on some of the wordings. We were not quite sure that these were the exact wordings that were in the final report.
"Basically her main request was that an addition be made of referencing the [Bougival] Accord, and as far as I know, this has been agreed upon and will be part of an addendum to the report by the [PIF] troika."
The independence flag at the FLNKS press conference in Noumea. Photo: AFP / Delphine Mayeur
Brotherson said that, in the "collection of colonies" that France has had, New Caledonia is where it "sent a lot of new population".
However, he added that France has a unique opportunity to do something it has not accomplished anywhere else in the world.
"That is, achieving a good decolonisation. Because when you look at the experience of France when you look at decolonisation, it has been a bloodbath pretty much everywhere," he said.
"So here, we have the opportunity to establish new forms of partnership, new forms of recognition of the First Nations of these countries - either in French Polynesia or in New Caledonia. It's an opportunity for France to reinvent herself."
New Caledonia's collegial government President Alcide Ponga Photo: AFP / Delphine Mayeur
New Caledonia's collegial government President Alcide Ponga, who is also attending the PIF Leader's Meeting in Honiara told RNZ Pacific that many things have happened since 2024 and it is important to move forward.
"I don't want to tell them what they have to put on the paper. It's not my role. It's not my job," when asked what he was going to tell Pacific leaders this week.
"New Caledonia and France... will do the best to find a good solution for the New Caledonia people because it's our land. Then we'll find a way to work with the French government because we are French, we are still French."
Meanwhile, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told RNZ Pacific that he wants to read the amended New Caledonia report before it is signed off by Pacific leaders on Thursday.
"I'll make sure that I look at that first, and it must have consensus with the people of the Pacific."
