PACIFIC – At its latest summit, the Pacific Islands Forum has added two members – French Polynesia and New Caledonia.

This marks the first time that territories on the UN decolonisation list are part of the organisation founded for the region’s independent countries.

It marks a great success for French diplomacy.

Radio New Zealand’s Dateline Pacific asked French Pacific reporter Walter Zweifel why this is significant for France.

“Since 2003 France has been pushing for the territories’ integration in the region while being opposed to them becoming independent,” Zweiffel said.

“The Forum was expected already in 2003 to heed Jacques Chirac’s call for the two territories to be admitted as full members.

“That didn’t happen in part because of the Forum’s structure. It is a political body unlike the SPC or Pacific Community.

“And, after all, the Forum was set up as a body of young countries leaving decades of colonisation behind them. A lot of the Forum’s focus was on its opposition to France using its colony to test its nuclear weapons.

“So the French success is that it could defy the Forum for decades and now gets to sit – indirectly – at the Forum table.

DATE LINE PACIFIC: You say indirectly.

“Of course, nominally the members are the two territories’ governments and they are now directly engaged with the Forum – be it on issues like education and sport etcetera.

“But when it comes to foreign policy, Paris is holding the strings.

“The French Polynesian president Edouard Fritch says the provisions of the autonomy status allow the territory it to run regional affairs without necessarily having to consult Paris.

“A decade ago, when Fritch talked about setting up missions in the Pacific Island countries, Paris rebuked the then government and forced it to acknowledge that foreign policy remained the prerogative of Paris.

“Based on the decision taken at the Forum in the Federated States of Micronesia, the question can be asked whether the Forum could reject a membership bid by the likes of Tokelau or American Samoa – two territories more integrated into the region at a grassroots level than any of the French territories.”

DATELINE PACIFIC: But in New Caledonia’s case – it could become an independent country?

“A referendum is due in 2018 on the issue as conclusion of the Noumea Accord but guessing on the sentiment in the territory, New Caledonia won’t become an independent country like its Melanesian neighbours.

“What is interesting is that New Caledonian president Philippe Germain says the Noumea Accord provides for integration in the region, yet he declines to acknowledge that the accord was signed also by the pro-independence FLNKS movement.

“It has always been opposed to Forum membership as long as New Caledonia is on the UN decolonisation list.

“And astonishingly, Germain told Radio France from Pohnpei that he had seen no opposition to becoming a Forum member.

“But days before the Forum summit, the FLNKS signatory of the Noumea Accord Roch Wamytan wrote a letter to the Forum secretary general Dame Meg Taylor asking her to wait with admitting New Caledonia.

“Obviously, his argument had no weight with the politicians at the Forum.”

- Dateline Pacific