New Zealand and New Caledonia

The New Zealand Consulate-General in Noumea was opened in October 1972, making it one of the earliest New Zealand’s diplomatic missions in the Pacific region. It manages New Zealand’s political and economic relationship with the three French territories in the Pacific: New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.

The relationship between New Zealand, France and its three Pacific territories has been developing strongly in recent years and now covers a wide range of issues of mutual interest. New Zealand has welcomed France’s contribution in the wider Pacific region and, in particular, its contribution to the stability and development of New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.

High-level political contact between New Zealand and New Caledonia and French Polynesia has expanded in recent years and there have been frequent visits and exchanges in the areas of trade, defence, security, education, tourism, culture and sports. Most recently, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Phil Goff (now Minister of Trade and also of Defence) led a large delegation to New Caledonia and French Polynesia (March 2005). The Minister of Veterans’ Affairs also visited New Caledonia in August 2005 with a large delegation of WWII veterans to celebrate the end of the war in the Pacific. The President of the New Caledonia, Marie-Noelle Thémereau and the President of French Polynesia, Oscar Temaru both visited New Zealand on separate occasions as official Guests of the Government in July/August 2005. Both were accompanied by ministerial delegations. The French Minister for France Overseas, Mr Francois Baroin, visited New Zealand as a Guest of the Government in April 2006.

New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna are working, in cooperation with France, to become more integrated into the Pacific region. This has led to greater cooperation with New Zealand on regional issues. Both New Caledonia and French Polynesia are currently observers of the Pacific Islands Forum, and have applied to become associate members later this year. They are also members of several regional institutions such as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), which is based in New Caledonia and to which New Zealand contributes around NZ$6 million per annum.

The economic relationship between New Zealand and New Caledonia and French Polynesia has considerable potential for all parties. Two-way trade has been growing significantly and French Polynesia and New Caledonia are now respectively New Zealand’s second and third largest export destinations in the Pacific, with trade exceeding $150 million and $100 million per annum. The balance of trade is strongly in favour of New Zealand but there are a number of initiatives taking place whereby New Zealand expertise and services are being sought by the territories to assist them in their economic development. New Zealand’s key exports to the French territories include meat, dairy produce, a range of fresh and processed foodstuffs, timber, aluminium and building materials. New Caledonia and French Polynesia export mainly tropical fruit and vegetables, fish and pearls to New Zealand. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has a local representative in New Caledonia (Mr Richard Godin) and in French Polynesia (Mrs Cathy Allgaier).

New Zealand has longstanding defence links with New Caledonia, and the New Zealand war cemetery in Bourail provides testament to the approximately 20,000 New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia at various times during the World War II. The New Zealand Defence Forces continue to share a close relationship with the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia and they co-operate in through joint military exercises and through regular senior level reciprocal defence visits. They also coordinate their responses to natural disasters and other emergencies (through the FRANZ relationship) and through search and rescue and maritime surveillance operations in the Pacific.

NZAID manages a modest programme of development assistance to New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna by providing short-term training for young people in New Zealand. These awards are aimed at enhancing equitable social and economic development programmes in the territories and are focused towards disadvantaged young indigenous people. They cover English language training, technical courses and often include practical work attachments.

New Zealand enjoys close educational, scientific, cultural, sporting exchanges with the French Pacific territories. A project is currently being organised to hold a “season” of New Caledonian cultural activities in New Zealand in 2007. The University of New Caledonia has very good relations with its New Zealand counterpart universities, notably the University of Auckland. Taupo and Noumea have a sister city relationship with regular delegation visits.

New Zealand has close indigenous cultural links with French Polynesia. The French Polynesian island of Raiatea is considered by tradition to be one of the main islands from where the original Maori people arrived in New Zealand and French Polynesia is considered to be the wellspring of Maori language. There is a close linguistic association with contemporary spoken Maori.