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Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the Pacific Islands Forum could be a “constructive force” in finding a “path forward” for New Caledonia.
“The situation is at an impasse and given the violence that has broken out and the damage to democracy, old wounds have been reopened and new ones have been inflicted, it will not be easy to resolve this.”
Peters represented New Zealand at the 10th Japan-Pacific Islands Leaders’ Meeting (PALM10) hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.
He delivered a speech titled “The Future of the Pacific,” noting the growing challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region.
The speech was an opportunity to outline a shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, with the minister again calling for “more diplomacy, more engagement, more compromise”, particularly in New Caledonia.
Riots and militancy Local Kanak independence protesters clash with security forces In May, riots broke out in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, over the French government’s attempt to amend the constitution, a move that would have affected the voting rights of 25,000 people.
Peters also questioned the legitimacy of the 2021 independence referendum because of the “significantly reduced and therefore discrepant sample of voters” and the “clear harm to democracy”.
Winston Peters
photo: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
“These two decisions were among the causes of the unrest, along with growing inequality and the lack of prospects for the local Kanak population, especially the young, which led to the instability that culminated in the riots in May.”
However, he also understands that 25,000 potential voters may also feel “democratic harm” from being disenfranchised.
“We raise this crisis here because the situation in New Caledonia is a test of the effectiveness of our regional architecture in responding to crises. It is also an opportunity for the Pacific Islands Forum to play a constructive role in helping the parties engage in the necessary democratic dialogue and chart a path forward.
“In this role, the Pacific Islands Forum needs to find an appropriate mechanism and the best person to facilitate dialogue, engagement or mediation among the various actors in New Caledonia.”
He noted that President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Christophe Luxon recently held discussions on New Caledonia, exploring a possible role for the forum.
“Pacific Islands Forum countries, by virtue of their geography and history, understand the desire for self-determination of large indigenous minorities. We also deeply respect and appreciate France’s role in the region and understand France’s desire to work with the people of New Caledonia towards a prosperous and secure future.”
The discussion comes as broader geopolitical influences weigh on the Pacific.
He said that “Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine”, “the complete disaster still happening in Gaza” and the risk of further escalation in the Middle East are leading to a more unstable global security situation.
Peters said policymakers should “open their eyes” to the challenges facing the country, but also be “alert to opportunities that could materially advance the prosperity and security of our citizens.”
“The call for a renewed robust diplomacy provides the backdrop for a recalibration of New Zealand’s foreign policy. In the three years since my last tenure as foreign minister, the security environment has deteriorated dramatically, exacerbating the long-term deterioration of the rules-based order.”
Peters said the shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy was a response to “three major shifts in the multifaceted and complex challenges facing the international order”, which he outlined:
- From rules to power, the world is moving toward multipolarity, characterized by more contested rules and a greater role for the relative power of states in shaping international affairs.
- From economics to security, in a more securitized and more unstable world, with intensified military competition, economic relations need to be reassessed.
- From efficiency to resilience, we are seeing a shift in the drivers of economic behavior, with building greater resilience and addressing pressing social and sustainability issues becoming more prominent.
In response, he said the New Zealand Government was “significantly increasing its focus and resources to Southeast Asia and North Asia, including Japan”.
The government is also reengaging with “traditional like-minded partnerships” and supporting new organisations to “advance and defend our interests and capabilities”. He cited IP4 and NATO as examples.
“We also know that we need to apply greater energy, urgency, and focus to three interrelated lines of diplomatic effort: investing in our relationships, advancing our prosperity, and strengthening our security.”
Peters will return to New Zealand on Saturday.
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