Lack of statistics a problem

Bob Makin




The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) ministerial visit to New Caledonia to assess progress in the implementation of the Noumea Accord found little or none.
It is now 22 years since the first accord—the Matignon Accords—signed in 1988. The Noumea Accord signed in 1998 grant political power to New Caledonia and its original Kanak population until the territory decides in a referendum for independence or to remain with France.
Chairman and spokesperson of the MSG team visiting New Caledonia in June, Edward Natapei (Vanuatu PM, standing in for PNG’s Sir Michael Somare) on his return to Port Vila spoke of the failure by France to produce Kanak academic achievement.
“Members of the New Caledonian Senat Coutumier pointed to the French territory’s high academic failure rate. It is 70% in New Caledonia. And 90% of those are Kanaks. Training is not necessarily geared towards the areas Kanaks want.
“As regards employment, they have started a programme for ‘a thousand future managers’. To me, I didn’t see any evidence of it. This is an area in which we need to be provided with statistics—to know whether they have these programmes in place.
“The ‘thousand managers’ seems to be more to do with Caledonians—that is French citizens of New Caledonia—rather than Kanaks.”
Natapei emphasised this with the observation that his group could not establish from the Noumea authorities how many Kanaks were actually graduating from universities.
He noted further, “We went to the new Northern Province nickel site where development is substantial. Nickel is in all the mountains and the harbour has had to be re-dredged to cope with the huge ships taking the ore away.
“The province says 6,000 more jobs will be available next year and they have given priority to Kanaks.
“However, because of the lack of statistics, we could not be told how many Kanaks are being trained in the industry to hold responsible positions within the mines.
“It is all very well developing the mine, but as to whether or not the Kanaks will be in a position to manage, or take up key positions, this is still unanswered. The accord should provide for the transfer of competencies to the Kanaks.”
Natapei, as group spokesman, said that many of the issues concerning sovereignty were still being discussed.
“Matters have been left rather too late. The referendum in the period 2014 - 2018 is fast approaching. It is rather late to get some of the basic requirements under the Noumea Accord dealt with.”
The MSG leaders held meetings with provincial dignitaries and staff. One leader had only just started to fly the Kanak flag, allegedly a provision under the Accord.
The Kanaks themselves have work to do, too, the delegation found.
Natapei noted: “It is quite clear from the way the Kanaks are operating that they are not as united as they used to be. There seemed to be differences between the groups such as that of Rock Wamytan and Paul Neaoutyine’s and they have alliances with others who are not necessarily Kanak.
“We insisted that it is important they come together and speak with one voice if we are to help them. Later this month, they will travel to Paris. We have requested that after that meeting they furnish us with information about what they discussed.
“If the Kanaks cannot come together themselves, we are going to face problems with regard to the FLNKS membership of the MSG.”
On the issue of MSG increasingly involving itself in politics, like the Forum, rather than trade (its original role), Natapei replied:
“My view is that the MSG is anyway, actually a political animal. However you put it, it is a political matter because we have FLNKS as a member of the MSG which is trying to push for the Independence of New Caledonia. This is a matter of politics working. We can’t do it any other way.
“As members of the Forum, the MSG has slightly different views. Although we agree with the Forum on the issue of Fiji. But as MSG we have a different view, because in Melanesia we don’t kick people out.
“We need to bring them to the nakamal [meeting house] and try to bring them back. We need to maintain dialogue.”
In spite of alleged moves by Australia and New Zealand to have France join the Forum, Natapei was quite clear that Forum membership belongs to New Caledonia, not the French Republic.
“FLNKS is a member of the MSG and it is pushing for the independence of New Caledonia. We would be happy to see an independent New Caledonia in the Forum.”