Vanuatu has officially appealed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in protest against France's continued colonial policy and its alleged unlawful territorial claims over the Matthew and Hunter Islands, which are under French jurisdiction.

Axar.az reports that, according to the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), the appeal also calls for the resolution of the issue of delimiting maritime borders between Vanuatu and Kanaky (New Caledonia), which remains under French colonial rule.

Three rounds of negotiations have previously been held between Vanuatu and France over the status of the islands and the delimitation of the Vanuatu-Kanaky maritime boundary.

"However, the process has remained inconclusive because France has failed to take a constructive approach toward a fair and legal resolution of the issue based on the fundamental principles of international law, has disregarded Vanuatu's sovereignty and has continued territorial claims inherited from colonialism," the statement said.

Vanuatu is an island state in the Melanesian region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country consists of an archipelago of approximately 83 islands and is located northeast of Australia and east of New Caledonia.

The Matthew and Hunter Islands are two small but strategically important islands in the southwestern Pacific, located between Vanuatu's southern islands and Kanaky (New Caledonia), which remains under French colonial rule.

With a combined land area of 1.3 square kilometers, the legal status of the islands extends beyond the issue of sovereignty. Their ownership directly affects the determination of surrounding territorial waters, the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of approximately 350,000 square kilometers, and the continental shelf, as well as the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Vanuatu and Kanaky. The presence of an EEZ covering approximately 350,000 square kilometers around the islands further increases their strategic and economic importance.

Kanaky's pro-independence forces have repeatedly supported Vanuatu's position regarding the Matthew and Hunter islands. This position was formalized in the Kéamu Agreement signed between the Vanuatu government and the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) in 2009 and reaffirmed in subsequent years.

In May 2026, FLNKS leader Christian Tein reiterated this support. In addition, New Caledonia's Customary Senate recognized the islands' affiliation with Vanuatu in 2009.