Anadolu staff
17 July 2026•Update: 17 July 2026
- Sovereignty over two uninhabited volcanic islands also determines rights to surrounding waters and resources
Vanuatu says it will pursue international legal action against France after bilateral negotiations failed to resolve a decades-old sovereignty dispute over two tiny volcanic islands in the South Pacific.
The move marks the latest chapter in a long-running territorial disagreement over Matthew and Hunter islands, two uninhabited outcrops located between Vanuatu and the French territory of New Caledonia.
While the islands themselves are small, sovereignty over them would also determine rights to surrounding waters and natural resources under international maritime law.
Here is what the dispute is about.
What happened?
Vanuatu announced this week that it had ended talks with France and would seek an international legal settlement after two rounds of negotiations failed to produce an agreement.
Vanuatu Foreign Minister Marc Ati said that the government would begin preparations to refer the dispute to an international judicial body, arguing that bilateral discussions had reached an impasse.
In a statement issued after the negotiations concluded, Prime Minister Jotham Napat said the government remained committed to pursuing the dispute through international law.
"While we acknowledge France's stance, this is not the end of our journey. We are determined to explore all legal avenues available to us to resolve this issue in accordance with international law," Napat said.
France has not indicated it would agree to international adjudication and continues to maintain that the islands are part of New Caledonia, its overseas territory in the Pacific.
Where are Matthew and Hunter islands?
Matthew and Hunter are two small, uninhabited volcanic islands located roughly 300 kilometers (185 miles) southeast of Vanuatu and southwest of New Caledonia.
Although they have no permanent population or significant infrastructure, their location gives them strategic importance.
Sovereignty over the islands affects claims to surrounding territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZs), where states have rights to fisheries, seabed resources and other marine activities under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Why do both countries claim the islands?
The competing claims stem from colonial-era history.
France says the islands became French territory in the late 19th century, when they were formally annexed as part of the French colonial administration that later became New Caledonia.
Paris argues it has exercised continuous sovereignty over the islands since then and administers them as part of New Caledonia.
Vanuatu disputes that claim, arguing the islands historically belonged to the indigenous peoples of what is now Vanuatu and therefore should have become part of the country when it gained independence from Britain and France in 1980.
Vanuatu says colonial powers drew borders without the consent of local communities and that the islands have longstanding customary, cultural and traditional ties to the archipelago.
The disagreement intensified after Vanuatu became independent in 1980, when the new government rejected France's claim to the islands.
Since then, both sides have repeatedly reaffirmed their positions but avoided major confrontation. France has periodically maintained a physical presence through scientific visits, naval patrols and administrative acts linked to New Caledonia, while Vanuatu has continued to assert sovereignty.
Which court could hear the case?
Vanuatu has said it intends to pursue an international legal process but has not specified which tribunal it will approach.
One option is the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations’ principal judicial body. However, the ICJ hears contentious cases between states only when both parties consent to its jurisdiction.
Other mechanisms, such as international arbitration under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or ad hoc tribunals, could also be considered depending on the legal arguments and whether France agrees to participate.
Territorial and maritime disputes often take years to reach a final decision.
