New Caledonia: what the draft agreement on the territory's institutional future contains

Following ten days of closed-door discussions, the main New Caledonian political forces signed a commitment to defend a draft agreement on the institutional future of the territory.

This "historic" text provides for the creation of a "State of New Caledonia" within the Republic, a new Caledonian nationality, and a gradual transfer of certain sovereign powers. Here is what it contains:

The project establishes the creation of a State of New Caledonia, via a fundamental law. This law will be able to modify the country's identity symbols (name, flag, anthem, motto), include a citizenship code, as well as a charter of Caledonian values combining "republican values" , "Kanak values" and "Oceanian values" .

This fundamental law will be adopted by the Caledonian Congress by a three-fifths majority and will have to be the subject of extensive political education, the text says.

The text creates a New Caledonian nationality, which will be added to French nationality. It will be acquired by French persons meeting certain conditions, to be specified in the fundamental law. There will therefore be a dual nationality, French and New Caledonian: renunciation of French nationality would entail renunciation of New Caledonian nationality.

The division of powers between the state and local institutions remains unchanged for the time being, but the text provides for the possibility of gradually transferring them, by resolution of Congress with a three-fifths majority. This could concern areas such as diplomacy, security, justice, or currency.

New Caledonia will exercise full jurisdiction over international relations within its areas of competence, except for defense and security. It will also be closely involved in the exercise of sovereign functions, with a training plan to train administrative, judicial, and security personnel.

New Caledonia will conduct its diplomatic actions "in compliance with its international commitments and the interests of France," the text states.

The Congress will now have 56 members, with the ability to modify the voting system, the number of constituencies, and the distribution among the provincial assemblies. A special organic law will ensure the maintenance of a solidarity mechanism between the institutions of the North, South, and Loyalty Islands, the three provinces of the archipelago.

It must set objectives both for the consolidation of public finances and for economic recovery. Regarding nickel , a strategic resource, a dedicated plan is on the agenda. It provides for facilitating the export of ore within the framework of a "renewed doctrine" , with the plan that Caledonian nickel will remain primarily processed locally or in Caledonian offshore plants. The text also mentions technical and financial support from the State.

The project includes several steps leading up to the provincial elections, postponed to May-June 2026, including the adoption of the constitutional bill by the Parliament meeting in Congress in Versailles in the fall. In February 2026, the bill will be submitted to the vote of Caledonians. In March or April, a special organic law is expected to be adopted, and municipal elections will be held in New Caledonia.

The document signed in Bougival is not a definitive agreement, but a commitment by political delegates to present and defend a joint text before their respective bases in New Caledonia, where it could cause a stir. "All partners undertake to present and defend the text in the state of the agreement on the future of New Caledonia," the text says.

The New Caledonian political parties will therefore have to obtain the support of their constituents in the coming weeks, starting with the FLNKS separatists, who are due to hold a congress at the end of next week, according to a source close to the matter.