New Caledonia and French Polynesia have been declared self-governing territories by the UN decision. However, the issues (colonial rule) still persist there.

Axar.az reports that this was stated by President Ilham Aliyev during his speech at the Developing Small Island States (SIDS) Summit within COP29.

The President emphasized that French Polynesia is facing severe environmental degradation and pointed out that numerous nuclear tests had been conducted there by France. He stated that France is responsible for polluting the land and causing damage. 'If we consider the 17 nuclear tests conducted in Algeria during the colonial era, we can understand how much damage has been done to the planet's ecosystem.'

Touching on the crimes in overseas territories, the Azerbaijani President mentioned the recent violations of human rights by France, citing the deaths and injuries of numerous citizens during protests in New Caledonia under Macron's regime.