A Decolonisation Test for France in the Pacific: The Third Referendum on Independence in New Caledonia Part 1: The Controversial Vote

Abstract

The Nouméa Accord of 1998 proposed a consensually negotiated interim governing framework in New Caledonia after intercommunal violence in the 1980s. Its final stages included one, and potentially up to three, referenda on the exact future status of the country. The first two referenda, held in 2018 and 2020, resulted in slim majorities against independence, but had stronger showings for independence than observers expected. The third referendum, originally planned for 2022, was rushed ahead to 2021. Kanak independence parties were experiencing a COVID-19 pandemic crisis and thus boycotted the referendum, resulting in an abstention rate of 56 per cent. Part 1 of this In Brief miniseries provides some background to the Nouméa Accord and reflects on the third referendum controversy. Part 2 examines the possibilities being discussed for New Caledonia’s future political status.