Vanuatu appeals to the UN International Court of Justice over France's claims to the Matthew and Hunter islands
Vanuatu has sent an official appeal to the UN International Court of Justice in protest against France's continuing colonial policy and its illegal territorial claims to the Matthew and Hunter islands, which are under Vanuatu's jurisdiction.
This was reported by 1news.az with reference to the Baku Initiative Group.
It is noted that the appeal also contains a demand to resolve the issue of the delimitation of maritime borders between Vanuatu and Kanaky (New Caledonia), which is under French colonial rule.
It was emphasized that negotiations on the status of the islands and the delimitation of the Vanuatu–Kanaky maritime border have been held three times between Vanuatu and France:
"Despite this, the process ended without result because of France's unconstructive approach to a fair and legal resolution of the issue on the basis of the fundamental principles of international law, its disregard for Vanuatu's sovereignty, and the continuation of territorial claims inherited from colonialism."
Let us note that Vanuatu is an island state located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in the Melanesia region. The country is an archipelago of approximately 83 islands and is situated northeast of Australia and east of New Caledonia. The Matthew and Hunter islands are two small but strategically important islands located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean between the southern islands of Vanuatu and Kanaky (New Caledonia), which is under French colonial rule.
The legal status of these islands, with a total land area of 1.3 km², is not limited to the question of sovereignty alone; their ownership directly affects the determination of the surrounding territorial waters, the exclusive economic zone (350,000 km²) and the continental shelf, as well as the delimitation of the maritime border between Vanuatu and Kanaky. The presence of an exclusive economic zone of about 350,000 km² around the islands further increases their strategic and economic importance.
Supporters of Kanaky's independence have repeatedly backed Vanuatu's position on the Matthew and Hunter islands. This position was formalized in 2009 in the Keamu agreement signed between the government of Vanuatu and the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), and it has been reaffirmed in subsequent years. In May 2026, FLNKS leader Christian Tein once again expressed this support. In addition, the Senate of New Caledonia recognized in 2009 that the islands belong to Vanuatu.
