Mr President, members of the government, distinguished representatives of SPC member countries and territories and of the diplomatic corps, dear partners, dear friends,
It is with great pleasure and honour that President Mapou and I welcome you all today to the Pacific Common House to celebrate together an important event for our common future: the signing of a new partnership agreement between SPC and New Caledonia as the host territory of the Organisation's headquarters.
As you know, New Caledonia has been home to SPC's headquarters since 1949 what used to be the former headquarters of the US armed forces, "the pentagon", where the Hilton promenade now stands. With the growing importance of the organisation's role for the region and the pacific communities, the development of its headquarters became a priority issue in the 1980s and 1990s for an organisation that was, at the time of its creation, 'a small organisation with a huge mandate'. The uncertainty about the location of the headquarters at the time even prompted the organisation to consider relocating to another Oceanian country.
Thanks to the determination of New Caledonia and exemplary cooperation with France, which together committed substantial financial resources, and thanks to the support of Australia, the decision was taken to maintain SPC's headquarters in Nouméa and to begin construction of a new headquarters a few steps away from the old one. The 35th Pacific Conference inaugurated the new SPC headquarters in October 1995. It was then agreed that the new conference room, in which you stand today, would be named after Jacques Iékawé, an ardent defender of the Kanak culture and identity and SPC Secretary General elected in 1992, who fought to keep the organisation's headquarters in Nouméa, as a tribute to the memory of the late Secretary General.
With an architectural design that combines tradition and modernity, inspired by the Ocean and the pirogue as well as by Pacific spaces and habitats and their relationship with their environment, built with coconut wood from Fiji, kohu wood from the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, representing on its walls the maritime routes traced by Micronesian navigators and on its floor the lagoon : The Meeting House of the Pacific is the most symbolic representation of the SPC's work: strong regional cooperation, respectful of the culture and traditions of each of its members, to achieve together a unique and exemplary result for the international community as a whole: Pacific-style cooperation between sister countries and territories, based on respect, shared values and a common destiny.
Another important milestone in our shared history was the signing in 2003 of a new headquarters agreement between the Director-General of SPC and the then President of the New Caledonian Government. Under this agreement, France and New Caledonia made a joint commitment to SPC to ensure a favourable environment and conditions for the long-term establishment of its headquarters in Nouméa.
It was in the context of this renewed and continuous commitment that SPC and New Caledonia decided last year to establish together a new partnership structure that would consolidate New Caledonia's role as the host territory of the Organisation's headquarters, particularly with regard to the sharing of competencies between the French State and New Caledonia.
The aim of this new partnership, which the President and I have the honour of presenting to you and celebrating today, is therefore to strengthen our links in order to consolidate SPC's headquarters in Noumea and also to reinforce SPC's action in New Caledonia, to renew our commitments with our New Caledonian partners and to develop new programmes incorporating New Caledonian participation and expertise to promote New Caledonian regional integration and to enable SPC to fully play its role as a common house for all its Pacific members.
This high-level framework agreement will be implemented through three pillars over a period of 4 (four) years:
- The first pillar focuses on the establishment of the organisation's headquarters in Noumea. It will be implemented through a work plan aimed at consolidating SPC's headquarters in New Caledonia and enabling the Organisation to fully continue its development in its host territory. Based on the Headquarters Agreement signed with France in 2003 and identifying the joint actions to be carried out annually, this plan will include:
- on the one hand, improved cooperation on issues relating to the privileges and immunities of the organisation necessary for the exercise of its regional mandate, or relating to the expansion of SPC and its premises needs ;
- and secondly, projects to open up SPC to New Caledonia, including, for example, improved participation by SPC in New Caledonian events, cooperation projects on traditional and regional New Caledonian cultural protocols, and opening up SPC to New Caledonian youth and women, particularly from the Pacific.
- The second pillar concerns technical cooperation between SPC and New Caledonia and will be implemented through the establishment of a SPC Country Strategic Engagement in New Caledonia, in accordance with the SPC 2022-2031 Strategic Plan, which was developed under the New Caledonian Chairmanship by the CRGA sub-committee. The main aim of this strategic plan will be to strengthen New Caledonia's regional integration and to mobilise New Caledonian expertise in SPC regional projects where this expertise is available and can benefit the region.
- Finally, the third pillar concerns communication, and will be implemented through new governance of the partnership and the establishment of a joint communication plan on the actions implemented within its framework.
Mr President and I wanted to invite you to this signing ceremony today, not only to present this new partnership and invite you to take part in it, but also to demonstrate a high level of transparency towards New Caledonia as a whole on these matters.
I am fully conscious that there have been instances of misunderstanding or misinterpretation of SPC role and reputation in New Caledonia. In a close-knit community like New Caledonia and especially in Noumea, rumor and misinformation can spread quickly. sometimes giving a distorted image of the work of SPC and how it operates, misleadingly highlighting the organisation's tax privileges rather than the long-standing technical cooperation that exists with you, the organisation's key partners. These rumours must not undermine the strength of the existing link between our institutions, and the commitment we are making today with President Mapou must be a representation of this: SPC and New Caledonia have a long history together, and this deserves to be celebrated at every moment.
I am convinced that we will achieve this through communication and by basing our cooperation on trust, openness and transparency.
This day should therefore mark this new step forward between SPC and the New Caledonian government and promote the openness to the Pacific region and the world that SPC brings to New Caledonia. As we embark on this new chapter, it is crucial to remember that this partnership is firmly rooted in our shared history and enduring commitment.
SPC is convinced that it is a very important vector for New Caledonia's international influence given that it is often through SPC and in collaboration with SPC that New Caledonia brings its expertise and know-how to the Pacific and maintains strong links with its sister countries and territories in the region. SPC is also proud to be the only intergovernmental organisation to have its headquarters on the territory of an overseas ‘collectivity’, and we are extremely honoured by this specificity and the impact it has on New Caledonia's local economy.
You who are here today to bear witness to this partnership: you, Mr President, on behalf of the New Caledonian government, you the Caledonian stakeholders, you the development partners, you the SPC divisions, who work together on a daily basis to implement projects in public health, in climate change adaptation, in fisheries and aquaculture, in agriculture, in education. You who work closely with SPC in the fields of research, science, statistics and innovation: tomorrow you will be the driving force behind its dynamism and success. My message to you today is this: the doors of the headquarters of the Pacific Community are open to you, the organisation is listening to you, I am listening to you, and our new Deputy Director General, Maria Fuata, based in Noumea and whom I have the honour of introducing to you today, is also listening to you. SPC and all its staff are at the service of its member countries and territories, and are at the service of New Caledonia to support its development, in accordance with the organisation's mandate and values. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the SPC staff who are dedicated to their public service mission and who work daily, sometimes behind the scenes, to fulfil the organisation's mandate for the benefit of the peoples of the Pacific.
We are convinced that New Caledonia and its people can be proud to host the headquarters of the Pacific's leading regional scientific and technical organisation, in the same way that SPC and its headquarters staff are proud to be based in New Caledonia, which represents the Community so well: a Pacific territory deeply rooted in its culture and traditions and so resolutely turned towards the future and modernity. For many of us, New Caledonia has become a second home, where we have relocated to serve the region.
Next year will also mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of SPC's headquarters in New Caledonia, and I therefore hope, on behalf of SPC and New Caledonia, to see you once again on this occasion to celebrate our partnership and the strong ties that unite us.
Mr President, dear members of the government, distinguished representatives of the SPC member states and territories and of the diplomatic corps, dear partners, dear friends, thank you all for being here today.
