AGP Executive Report

Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has validated a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s provincial election voting restrictions, allowing over 10,000 additional people to vote in the 28 June 2026 polls, after changes backed by the National Assembly and Senate and requested by PM Sébastien Lecornu. Health Sector Restructuring: Health workers and officials met for three days in Nouméa City Hall to tackle a strained system marked by chronic disease costs (about 40 billion francs a year for long-term care), caregiver shortages, costly medical evacuations, and youth addictions, with priorities set around making health jobs more attractive, reorganising care delivery, and restoring financial sustainability. Regional Connectivity: Fiji Airways announced direct Nadi–Nouméa flights will resume from 22 September 2026, twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, adding more than 10,000 seats annually and boosting tourism, trade, and people-to-people links.

Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has validated a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, allowing more than 10,000 additional voters—mainly people born after the Nouméa Accord-era restrictions—after amendments backed by the National Assembly and Senate. Health Sector Restructuring: Health professionals met in Nouméa City Hall for three days to tackle a struggling system marked by chronic disease costs (about 40 billion francs a year), caregiver shortages, youth addictions, and expensive medical evacuations, with plans focused on making health jobs more attractive, reorganising care delivery, and restoring financial sustainability. Regional Connectivity: Fiji Airways announced direct Nadi–Nouméa flights will resume from 22 September 2026, twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, adding over 10,000 seats annually and boosting tourism, trade, and people-to-people links.

French Electoral Roll: The French Constitutional Council has approved a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, allowing more than 10,000 additional voters—mainly people born after November 1998—to cast ballots after demographic shifts since the Nouméa Accord. Health Sector Restructuring: Health workers and officials met for three days in Nouméa to tackle a strained system marked by chronic disease costs (around 40 billion francs a year), caregiver shortages, youth addictions, and expensive medical evacuations, with plans focused on making health jobs more attractive, reorganising care delivery, and restoring financial sustainability. Regional Connectivity: Fiji Airways says it will restart direct Nadi–Nouméa flights from 22 September 2026, twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays via ATR 72-600 aircraft, adding over 10,000 seats annually and boosting tourism, trade, and people-to-people links between the two hubs.

Electoral Roll Update: The French Constitutional Council has validated a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, allowing more than 10,000 additional voters—mainly people born after the Nouméa Accord-era restrictions—after an organic law backed by France’s National Assembly and Senate. Health Sector Restructuring: Health professionals met in Nouméa City Hall for three days to tackle a strained system marked by chronic disease, youth addictions, caregiver shortages and costly medical evacuations, with officials pointing to long-term illness costs of about 40 billion francs a year and a shift from emergency mode in 2025 to restructuring in 2026. Decolonisation Pressure: A new analysis highlights continued international scrutiny of France’s approach to New Caledonia, citing UN concerns that political and constitutional changes must involve the free consent of Kanak people. Regional Security & Diplomacy: Coverage of Pacific geopolitics flags how major powers shape decisions with limited Pacific representation, including Australia-led Quad diplomacy tied to Fiji port plans.

Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has approved a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, allowing over 10,000 additional voters—mainly people born after the 1998 Nouméa Accord restrictions—after amendments backed by the National Assembly and Senate. Health Sector Restructuring: New Caledonia’s health stakeholders met for three days in Nouméa City Hall to plan a shift from emergency response to restructuring, targeting long-term illness costs (about 40 billion francs a year), staff shortages, and financial sustainability, with priorities including making health jobs more attractive and reorganising care delivery. Competition Law: Congress adopted a competition bill to curb abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, tighten merger controls, and allow deferred discounts between producers and distributors to help lower prices; the government also removed 10 articles that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers amid employer lobbying and UNI’s abstention. Decolonisation Debate: A new commentary argues France is continuing obstructionist tactics against decolonisation, pointing to UN pressure and the demand that any political changes involve Kanak participation and free consent.

French Electoral Roll Update: The French Constitutional Council has approved a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June provincial elections, allowing over 10,000 additional voters—mainly people born after the Nouméa Accord-era restrictions—after an organic law backed by the National Assembly and Senate. Health Sector Restructuring: Nouméa talks over three days at City Hall put numbers on the crisis: around 50,000 people treated for long-term illnesses at an estimated 40 billion francs a year, with chronic disease, youth addictions, caregiver shortages, costly medical evacuations and strained finances driving a push to make health professions more attractive, reorganise care delivery, and stabilise funding. Competition Law Passes: Congress adopted a New Caledonia competition bill targeting abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, tightening merger controls and allowing deferred discounts between producers and distributors, while deleting provisions that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers amid employer lobbying. International Context: The US has lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from Level 3 to Level 2, citing improved safety since the 2024 unrest, while still warning about petty crime, political tensions and limited emergency help outside Nouméa.

Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has approved a partial “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, allowing more than 10,000 additional voters—aimed at people born after November 1998 who were previously blocked under the Nouméa Accord-era restrictions. Health Sector Restructuring: Nouméa’s health stakeholders met for three days to tackle a sector under strain—chronic disease costs, youth addictions, staffing shortages, expensive medical evacuations and fragile finances—with priorities set around making health jobs more attractive, reorganising care delivery, and restoring financial sustainability. Competition Law Passes: Congress adopted a New Caledonia competition bill to curb abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, including tighter merger controls and new rules on payment deadlines—while the government removed parts that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers, a move criticised as undermining independence. International Travel Signal: The US has lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from Level 3 to Level 2, citing improved safety while still warning about petty crime, political demonstrations and limited help outside Nouméa. Regional Fisheries Governance: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on work already underway in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to strengthen tuna management and ocean governance.

Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has validated a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, allowing over 10,000 additional voters—mainly people born after restrictions were imposed under the Nouméa Accord framework. Competition Law: New Caledonia’s Congress adopted a competition bill targeting abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, including new merger controls and a late-payment compensation mechanism—while the government removed key powers for the Competition Authority after employer lobbying. Decolonisation Pressure: A new analysis says Paris continues to obstruct decolonisation, with UN experts warning reforms must not be made without the free consent of Kanak people amid ongoing post-2024 tension. Travel & Safety Signals: The US State Department lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from Level 3 to Level 2, citing improved overall safety while still flagging petty crime, political demonstrations, and limited emergency help outside Nouméa. Regional Governance & Oceans: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on work in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to push more sustainable tuna fisheries and stronger ocean governance.

Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has validated a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s frozen electoral roll, letting more than 10,000 additional voters cast ballots in the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, after changes backed by an organic law and requested by PM Sébastien Lecornu. Competition Law: Congress passed a New Caledonia competition bill targeting abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, while deleting parts that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers—moves critics link to employer pressure. Decolonisation Pressure: A new commentary argues Paris continues to obstruct decolonisation, pointing to UN CERD warnings that reforms must be made with the free consent of Kanak people. Travel & Safety Signals: The US lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from “Reconsider Travel” to “Exercise Increased Caution,” citing generally improved safety while still warning about petty crime and political demonstrations. Regional Fisheries: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on work already underway in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to strengthen tuna governance and sustainable ocean management.

Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has approved a partial “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, letting more than 10,000 additional voters cast ballots—aimed at correcting “growing distortions” after demographic changes since the Nouméa Accord. Competition Law: New Caledonia’s Congress passed a competition bill targeting abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, while the government withdrew 10 articles that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers amid employer pushback. Decolonisation Pressure: A new commentary argues Paris continues to obstruct decolonisation, pointing to UN CERD warnings that constitutional or political changes must involve the free consent of Kanak people. Travel & Safety Signals: The US State Department lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from “Reconsider Travel” to “Exercise Increased Caution,” citing improved safety while still warning about petty crime and political tensions. Regional Governance & Oceans: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on work already involving Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to strengthen sustainable tuna fisheries and ocean governance. Public Health Watch: Dengue is easing in the Cook Islands, but cases are still being reported across the Pacific, including New Caledonia.

Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has approved a “partial unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, allowing over 10,000 additional voters—mainly people born after restrictions were imposed under the Nouméa Accord framework—after an organic law backed by both chambers. Competition Law: New Caledonia’s Congress passed a competition measures bill to curb abusive business practices, including punishable excessive pricing and late-payment rules, while also withdrawing provisions that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers amid employer pushback. Travel & Safety Signals: The US State Department lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from Level Three to Level Two, citing improved conditions since the 2024 unrest, while still warning about petty crime outside Nouméa and limited emergency support. Regional Governance & Oceans: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on reforms already underway in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to strengthen sustainable tuna fisheries management and ocean governance.

Electoral Roll Update: The French Constitutional Council has validated changes to New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, effectively “unfreezing” parts of the roll and allowing more than 10,000 additional voters—especially people born after the 1998 Nouméa Accord restrictions—to cast ballots. Competition Law: New Caledonia’s Congress passed a competition bill aimed at curbing abusive business practices, including excessive pricing and late payments, while also withdrawing some proposed powers for the Competition Authority after employer lobbying. US Travel Advisory Downgrade: The US State Department lowered its New Caledonia travel advisory from Level 3 to Level 2, saying the territory is generally safe for tourism again, while still warning about petty crime outside Nouméa and limited emergency support. Regional Fisheries Governance: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on reforms already underway in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to strengthen sustainable tuna management and ocean governance. Health & Outbreak Watch: Dengue is declared over in the Cook Islands, but cases continue to be reported across parts of the Pacific, including New Caledonia.

Competition Law: New Caledonia’s Congress passed a competition bill aimed at tackling abusive business practices, including punishable excessive pricing and late-payment rules, while also tightening merger controls and allowing deferred producer–distributor discounts; the government removed 10 articles that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers after lobbying from employers’ group FEINC, and UNI abstained. Travel & Safety: The US State Department lowered its New Caledonia travel advisory from Level 3 to Level 2, saying the territory is generally safe for tourism but warning about petty crime, political demonstrations, and limited emergency support outside Nouméa. Regional Fisheries: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on work already underway in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to improve tuna fisheries management and ocean governance, with a regional meeting in Apia bringing together governments and industry.

Competition Law: New Caledonia’s Congress passed a competition bill aimed at cutting abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, with excessive margins now punishable and merger controls tightened; it also allows deferred discounts between producers and distributors, while the government removed 10 articles that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers after lobbying from employers’ group FEINC. Elections & Representation: France expands New Caledonia’s voting rolls for June elections, with Parliament also approving the electoral roll expansion—an issue that remains politically sensitive after the 2024 unrest. Travel & Security: The U.S. State Department lowered its New Caledonia travel advisory from Level 3 to Level 2, saying the territory is generally safe for tourism but warning about petty crime outside Nouméa and limited emergency support beyond the capital. Regional Ocean Governance: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on progress in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to push sustainable tuna fisheries and better ocean governance.

Competition Law: New Caledonia’s Congress has passed a new competition bill aimed at cracking down on abusive business practices, including excessive pricing and late payments, while allowing deferred discounts between producers and distributors to help lower costs; the vote was 34 in favour with 6 abstentions, but the government also withdrew 10 articles that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers—sparking concerns from UNI, which abstained, and from critics who say the deletions weaken the authority’s independence. Travel Advisory: The US State Department has lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from Level 3 to Level 2, saying the territory is generally safe for tourism again, while still warning about petty crime outside Nouméa and limited emergency support beyond the capital. Electoral Rolls: France’s National Assembly has approved expanding New Caledonia’s electoral rolls for the June 28 provincial and Congress elections, adding about 10,569 locally born voters, though a bid to include spouses and partners was rejected by a narrow margin. Regional Context: France’s Overseas Minister Manuel Valls begins his first official visit to French Polynesia, with the New Caledonia “deal” expected to loom over political discussions.

Competition Law: New Caledonia’s Congress has passed a competition bill aimed at cracking down on abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, with tougher merger controls and a new framework for deferred producer–distributor discounts meant to ease high costs; Regulator Powers: the government also pulled 10 articles that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers, citing a review ahead of the ACNC’s 10th anniversary—an approach employers’ group FEINC has pushed for, while pro-independence UNI abstained and warned the deletions weaken the authority’s independence; Travel Signals: the U.S. has lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from “Reconsider Travel” to “Exercise Increased Caution,” saying the territory is generally safe again but still flagging petty crime, political demonstrations, and limited emergency help outside Nouméa.