Pacific Islands Forum leaders are under pressure to do more for Kanak people and West Papua, with advocates demanding stronger action on decolonisation, human rights and self-determination.
Kanak communities are still living with the trauma of the deadly unrest that swept Kanaky in 2024, while West Papuan communities face reports of escalating military violence and displacement.
At a caucus on the margins of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, which concludes today in Palau, the Melanesian Spearhead Group pressed for accelerated decolonisation in Kanaky and renewed regional and United Nations human rights missions to West Papua.
Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu, who led the country’s delegation, said Kanaky and West Papua were among its key priorities. He said Vanuatu wanted West Papua returned to the Forum agenda and would seek strong regional support for Kanaky’s decolonisation.
The move brought both issues into a Forum agenda dominated by fuel costs, climate risks, regional security and geopolitical tensions.
Calls for Kanak-led process
Kanaky, New Caledonia, remains on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories under French administration.
The unrest that began in May 2024 left 14 people dead, hundreds injured and communities facing lasting trauma and economic hardship, according to a statement from Pacific civil society groups.
The MSG has now approved a roadmap supporting the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front, known as the FLNKS.
After being briefed by FLNKS president Christian Tein, leaders called for a new decolonisation process that is “Kanaky in design and Melanesian in spirit”.
They also supported a renewed Pacific Islands Forum Troika mission to Kanaky to help prevent further violence.
Pacific civil society groups said the human cost of the unrest had been overshadowed by discussion of economic losses and reconstruction.
They called for greater regional monitoring of humanitarian and detention conditions, the return of Kanak people transferred to prisons in metropolitan France and an official United Nations visiting mission.
Scrutiny sought in West Papua
In West Papua, conflict between Indonesian security forces and armed independence groups has forced communities from their homes, while access for international observers remains restricted.
The MSG reaffirmed its longstanding support for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the Papuan provinces.
It also offered additional representation to a Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Envoys mission expected to take place in 2026.
It remains unclear whether Indonesia has agreed to the mission, when it would take place, or whether the envoys would have unrestricted access to affected communities.
United Liberation Movement for West Papua executive member Paula Makabory said the humanitarian situation had reached a “critical juncture”.
Her organisation has alleged an escalation in extrajudicial killings and the use of drones and landmines in civilian areas.
It pointed to a reported drone strike in Intan Jaya in June that allegedly killed an elderly Papuan woman and seriously injured two others, and the reported fatal shooting of a young man in Yahukimo.
Makabory called for independent investigations, an end to military operations in civilian areas and unrestricted access for the United Nations.
“The indigenous people of West Papua are an integral part of the Melanesian family,” she said.
“Their ongoing suffering directly weakens the security and solidarity of the entire Pacific region.”
In response to questions from Te Ao Māori News, the Indonesian Embassy said Indonesia continued to participate in MSG and Forum discussions as an associate member and dialogue partner.
It said the proposed visit by the UN human rights office was “on the right path” and pointed to a visit by a United Nations special rapporteur in July 2025 as evidence of Indonesia’s willingness to engage with international human rights mechanisms.
Asked about the ULMWP’s allegations of military violence, the embassy declined to comment. It said Indonesian forces upheld national law and international norms when engaging with armed groups, and that any suspected breaches of procedure by security personnel would be investigated.
The embassy also defended Indonesia’s national strategic projects in Papua, saying they were intended to improve prosperity and were reviewed in coordination with local communities and traditional groups.
The French Embassy in Aotearoa has also been contacted for comment.
Forum agrees to further engagement
In its final communiqué, the Pacific Islands Forum reaffirmed its support for New Caledonia and its role in monitoring the territory’s self-determination process.
Leaders supported sustained and inclusive dialogue towards a peaceful political transition and noted the outcomes of the MSG caucus, including its call for a process that is “Kanaky in design and Melanesian in spirit”.
On West Papua, the Forum recognised Indonesia’s sovereignty over the region and called on all parties to protect the human rights of its residents.
Leaders agreed to facilitate dialogue with Indonesia and a mission involving interested Pacific leaders, in consultation with the MSG Secretariat. The mission will report back to Forum leaders in 2027.
