Question of New Caledonia

A/RES/76/98No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 63Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, published in 2021.

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39 versions · 1988–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/98

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What subjects does this mandate have?

4 topics

Decolonization New Caledonia Question Non-Self-Governing Territories Self-Determination of Peoples

What does this mandate say?

36 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms its approval of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples for 2021;

Reiterates its endorsement of the reports, observations, conclusions and recommendations of the United Nations visiting missions to New Caledonia conducted in 2014 and 2018;

Expresses its appreciation to the administering Power and the Government of New Caledonia for the close cooperation and assistance extended to the visiting missions;

Reaffirms that it is ultimately for the people of New Caledonia to determine freely and fairly their future political status in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, and in that connection calls upon the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government and appropriate bodies of the United Nations system, to develop political education programmes for the Territory in order to foster an awareness among the people of their right to self-determination in conformity with the legitimate political status options, based on the principles clearly defined in Assembly resolution 1541 (XV) and other relevant resolutions and decisions;

Notes the continuing concerns expressed regarding the challenges encountered in the provincial elections process with respect to the persistent varying interpretations of the restricted electorate provisions and the voter registration appeal process, and encourages efforts by the administering Power and the people of New Caledonia to address in an amicable and peaceful manner the concerns of all stakeholders under the existing relevant laws in the Territory and in France, while also respecting and upholding the spirit and letter of the Nouméa Accord;

Recalls the peaceful conduct of the self-determination referendums, in accordance with the Nouméa Accord, on 4 November 2018 and on 4 October 2020, resulting in 56.67 per cent against full sovereignty and independence and 43.33 per cent in favour in the first referendum and 53.26 per cent against full sovereignty and independence and 46.74 per cent in favour in the second referendum, and the provisions of the Nouméa Accord with regard to an additional referendum on self-determination;

Takes note of the decision taken by the administering Power that 12 December 2021 would be the date of the third self-determination referendum in New Caledonia, and calls upon the administering Power and all relevant stakeholders in New Caledonia to ensure the peaceful, fair, just and transparent conduct of the self-determination referendum in New Caledonia, in accordance with the Nouméa Accord;

Expresses the view that adequate measures for conducting the upcoming consultation on access to full sovereignty, including a just, fair, credible and transparent electoral roll, as provided in the Nouméa Accord, are essential for the conduct of a free, fair and genuine act of self-determination consistent with the Charter and United Nations principles and practices;

Welcomes, in that respect, the continuous high-level political dialogue and commitment in good faith undertaken by the parties in the framework of the Committee of Signatories to the Nouméa Accord to establish the parameters for the conduct of a conclusive act of self-determination, including the setting of an electoral roll, as provided in the Accord;

Recalls the outcome of the twelfth meeting of the Committee of Signatories, held on 3 October 2014, which, inter alia, stressed the commitment of the administering Power to enable the people of New Caledonia to decide their future status in a fair, credible, democratic and transparent self-determination process consistent with the Nouméa Accord;

Notes with interest the convening of the extraordinary meetings of the Committee of Signatories held in Paris on 5 June 2015, 2 November 2017, 27 March 2018, 14 December 2018 and 10 October 2019, regarding the New Caledonia self-determination process, including, in particular, the electoral roll for the referendum and related issues;

Calls upon France, the administering Power, in the light of the observations, conclusions and recommendations of the visiting missions, to consider further strengthening the education programme to inform the people of New Caledonia about the nature of self-determination so that they may be better prepared to face a future decision on the matter, and requests the Special Committee to provide all available assistance in that regard;

Commends the observations, conclusions and recommendations of the visiting missions to the Government of France, as the administering Power, and the Government of New Caledonia for appropriate action;

Notes with appreciation the facilitation by the administering Power of visiting missions to the Territory before the 2018 self-determination referendum, and welcomes the willingness expressed by the administering Power to the Special Committee to facilitate a new visiting mission, in-person or virtual, to New Caledonia before the third self-determination referendum, while taking into account the situation with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia, and further encourages continued cooperation with the Committee with regard to the third referendum;

Urges all the parties involved, in the interest of the people of New Caledonia and within the framework of the Nouméa Accord, to maintain their dialogue in a spirit of harmony and mutual respect in order to continue to promote a framework for the peaceful progress of the Territory towards an act of self-determination in which all options are open and which would safeguard the rights of all sectors of the population, based on the principle that it is for the people of New Caledonia to choose how to determine their destiny;

Reaffirms its resolutions 68/87 of 11 December 2013 and 69/97 of 5 December 2014, in which the General Assembly, inter alia, reaffirmed that in the absence of a decision by the Assembly itself that a Non-Self-Governing Territory has attained a full measure of self-government in terms of Chapter XI of the Charter, the administering Power concerned should continue to transmit information under Article 73 e of the Charter with respect to that Territory;

Welcomes the actions taken by the administering Power to continue to transmit to the Secretary-General information as required under Article 73 e of the Charter, particularly the submission on 7 December 2020 on the most recent developments in New Caledonia;

Notes the continuing concerns expressed by the Kanak people regarding their underrepresentation in governmental and social structures, incessant migratory flows, the impact of mining on the environment, and the relevance of taking into account the interests of local ownership and equity in natural resources development, and the importance of addressing them in a timely manner;

Urges the administering Power to maintain effective measures that safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the people of New Caledonia to their natural resources and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources, and requests the administering Power to take all steps necessary to protect the property rights of the people of New Caledonia;

Commends the “Cadres for the future” programme, and encourages further enhancement of the training and capacity-building of high-level executives in the public and private sectors in the Territory, particularly in view of the ongoing transfer of powers from the Government of France to New Caledonia, while ensuring that the transfer of powers is undertaken in a manner consistent with the Nouméa Accord;

Recalls the observations and recommendations contained in the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the rights of indigenous peoples on the situation of Kanak people in New Caledonia, made in the light of relevant international standards, to assist with ongoing efforts to advance the rights of the Kanak people in the context of the implementation of the Nouméa Accord and the United Nations-supported decolonization process;

Requests the Secretary-General, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to provide economic, social and other assistance to New Caledonia and to continue to do so, as appropriate, after it exercises its right to self-determination;

Welcomes the strengthening of the economic and social rebalancing initiatives undertaken by the administering Power, and urges its continuation in all areas and communities of the Territory, especially for the well-being of the Kanak indigenous people;

Stresses the importance of ensuring the timely transfer of competencies from the administering Power to New Caledonia, provided under the Nouméa Accord;

Encourages the administering Power, with the cooperation of the Government of New Caledonia, to maintain and enhance safeguards for and guarantees of the inalienable right of the people of the Territory to own, access, use and manage their natural resources, including proprietary rights for their future development;

Recalls the provisions of the Nouméa Accord to the effect that New Caledonia may become a member or associate member of certain international organizations, and notes the continuing strengthening of ties between New Caledonia and both the European Union and the European Development Fund;

Also recalls the accession of the Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste to the Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, the hosting, for the first time in New Caledonia, in June 2013, of the meetings of officials and leaders of the Group, the successful completion of the chairmanship of the Group by the Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste, in June 2015, and the opening, in February 2013, of the Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste unit at the headquarters of the Group secretariat in Port Vila;

Acknowledges the contribution of the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre to the protection of the indigenous Kanak culture of New Caledonia;

Welcomes the cooperative attitude of other States and Territories in the region towards New Caledonia, its economic and political aspirations and its increasing participation in regional and international affairs;

Takes note of the information shared by participants from New Caledonia at the Pacific and the Caribbean regional seminars on the implementation of the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism held since May 2014, including on measured progress made in the social, economic, political and environmental spheres and more focused efforts, particularly on the rebalancing initiatives and electoral roll concerns, necessary for the long-term shared mutual benefit of all New Caledonians, and urges the administering Power and the Government of New Caledonia to devote appropriate attention to addressing these issues;

Acknowledges the peaceful conduct of provincial elections in New Caledonia on 12 May 2019, the preceding municipal elections and the subsequent efforts to form a new Government of New Caledonia, and encourages constructive engagement by all stakeholders in further developing New Caledonia for all, including by respecting and upholding the Nouméa Accord;

Welcomes the renewed decision of the administering Power to invite the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the Secretariat to conduct a mission in order to observe the work of the special administrative commissions and the advisory committee of experts for the establishment and revision of the special electoral list, and looks forward to examining its recommendations, and further encourages the administering Power to facilitate the work undertaken in this regard;

Stresses the importance of the agreement between the signatories to the Nouméa Accord that the progress made in the emancipation process shall be brought to the attention of the United Nations;

Notes the socioeconomic, health and related challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to New Caledonia since 2020 and the commendable efforts by the Government of New Caledonia and the administering Power to prevent and stop the spread of the virus in the Territory, and encourages the international community, including the United Nations, to support the provision of timely access to COVID-19 vaccines for the people of New Caledonia;

Decides to keep under continuous review the process unfolding in New Caledonia as a result of the signing of the Nouméa Accord;

Requests the Special Committee to continue the examination of the question of the Non-Self-Governing Territory of New Caledonia and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session.

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