France insists on sovereignty over islands claimed by Vanuatu

Earlier this year, Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat accused France of colonialism over the dispute. French President Emmanuel Macron receives Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat at the Élysée Palace in Paris on July 23, 2025. (Photo by Quentin de Groeve/Hans Lucas via AFP) (AFP) — France on Wednesday insisted on its sovereignty over two disputed and strategically important islands in the Pacific Ocean claimed by Vanuatu, which is seeking to open a case against Paris at the Hague-based International Court of Justice. Eleonore Caroit, a junior minister at the French Foreign Ministry, said Paris had taken note of Vanuatu’s move over the uninhabited islands of Matthew and Hunter and would respond in due course. Under the rules of the United Nations’ top court, the case can proceed only if France agrees that international judges have jurisdiction. The French government in December denied it was planning to cede sovereignty after far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen accused President Emmanuel Macron of seeking to give up overseas territories. The volcanic islands lie several hundred kilometers east of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia but are also claimed by Vanuatu. “France’s position is clear and firm,” Caroit said at a conference of Pacific islands hosted by Palau. “It is a position of dialogue and openness, but above all, it is a reaffirmation of France’s sovereignty over these islands,” Caroit said. The sides must “discuss, negotiate and try to find solutions without relinquishing sovereignty — that was never on the table,” she added. Paris acknowledges Vanuatu’s request to open the case and will respond regarding “jurisdiction” and “the merits of the case,” she said. The tiny islands, with a combined area of less than 1 square kilometer (0.4 square miles), give France an exclusive economic zone of 350,000 square kilometers. Vanuatu won independence from joint British and French rule in 1980. “We decided that we had discussed this issue long enough and we have now submitted a request to the court,” Vanuatu’s environment minister, Ralph Regenvanu, said at the forum. If Paris does not accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction, Vanuatu can request an advisory opinion through a majority vote in the U.N. General Assembly, he added. Earlier this year, Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat accused France of colonialism over the dispute and threatened to use “all diplomatic and international legal means” if discussions broke down. France has overseas territories across the globe, from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean and Pacific — legacies of the colonial era that are now vital strategic footholds for Paris. Our weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.