President Moetai Brotherson says French Polynesia’s future cannot remain solely a French domestic matter.
Brotherson has addressed the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation, or C-24, which was established in 1961 by the UN General Assembly as its subsidiary body devoted to the issue of decolonisation
He said the French territory proposes what he called a simple programme of work.
This includes a comprehensive programme of information and education on the options available; a UN visiting mission to hear the people directly; and an agreed pathway towards a democratic act of self-determination, “ultimately allowing the Mā’ohi people to express their choice freely through a referendum – no predetermined outcome, no unilateral imposition”.
Brotherson told the committee he favours dialogue over litigation, but dialogue cannot mean indefinite waiting.
Brotherson has previously reiterated his support for greater political sovereignty for French Polynesia, telling PMN in March that economic development and resilience must come first and that the pathway toward greater sovereignty must be gradual and carefully managed.
He told the UN that French Polynesia is not asking for “yet another bilateral discussion” within the French institutional framework, where France sets the rules.
“We are not asking France to decide our future; we are asking France to stop preventing us from discussing how we will decide it.
“Our future cannot remain solely a French domestic matter.
“We are asking for a true decolonisation dialogue grounded in international law, involving France, the institutions and political forces of French Polynesia, with the United Nations associated with the process.
“The UN role is to guarantee that our right to self-determination is respected.”
Brotherson said the Pacific region knows the consequences of leaving political questions unresolved for too long.
“The recent history of Kanaky New Caledonia reminds us that dialogue must come before violence, not after it. This is neither a comparison nor a threat. It’s a responsibility to preserve peace.”
Brotherson said when French President Emmanuel Macron took office, French Polynesia had already been inscribed on the UN decolonisaiton list for four years.
“When he leaves office, 14 years will have passed. Fourteen years during which France could have chosen dialogue.”
France’s representative at the C-24, Jay Dharmadhikari, said Paris favours a constant direct dialogue between state bodies and the Polynesian territory.
“This dialogue emerges through regular contact at all levels. The state is fully committed to and engaged in these,” he said.
Dharmadhikari – whose words were translated in the UN meeting room – said French Polynesia has a great deal of political autonomy under the French Constitution.
“French Polynesia … has many competencies in almost all domains. More specifically, this means that Polynesian people have full autonomy to determine the public policies within the archipelago, within the fields of the economy, education, health, tourism, work, and culture.
“Only the key competencies, such as defence, regalian competencies remain the remit of the French government.”
He said the head of the French state and government will conduct consultations with all Polynesian stakeholders, “taking into account messages that have been conveyed and the demands expressed”.
France retains control over defence, currency, and aspects of foreign policy.
The C-24 draft resolution on French Polynesia’s independence called on France “to initiate a dialogue with the Government of French Polynesia in order to facilitate rapid progress towards a fair and effective self-determination process, under which the terms and timelines for an act of self-determination would be agreed, and to consider developing, in close cooperation, a constructive programme of work for the Territory”.
