Azernews.Az

On 25 September 2025, the Baku Initiative Group will organise an international conference titled “Overseas Territories after the Bujival Agreement: Recolonisation or Decolonisation?” within the framework of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly at the organisation’s headquarters in New York.

According to Azernews, the conference will bring together leaders of independence movements from France’s overseas territories — Kanaky (New Caledonia), Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Maʻohi Nui (French Polynesia), and French Guiana — as well as from the Netherlands’ colonial territories such as Bonaire, Aruba, and Sint Maarten. Participants will also include international experts on decolonisation and representatives of the International Decolonisation Front, established earlier in Baku.

The discussions will focus on the true nature of the Bujival Agreement, which France has presented as a path toward “stability and a shared future.” Participants will compare the provisions of this new deal with the Matignon and Nouméa Accords, which were intended to guide New Caledonia towards independence. Representatives of the Kanak people will explain in detail why they reject the Bujival Agreement.

The conference will also address the future of Kanaky (New Caledonia) and other overseas territories in the post-Bujival era, particularly in light of France’s unfulfilled obligations before the UN regarding decolonisation. Participants will stress the importance of keeping these issues on the agenda of international organisations, while exploring possible joint steps to achieve a genuine process of decolonisation.

At the conclusion of the event, a joint declaration is expected to be adopted. Following the conference, representatives of the colonies will stage a peaceful protest in front of the UN headquarters.

Venue and Time: United Nations Headquarters, 405 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017, Conference Room 7, at 10:00 AM.