Party leader: French colonialism in Maohi Nui will end

Maohi Nui, also known as French Polynesia, will seek to end French colonial rule and continue efforts on international platforms to gain recognition as a sovereign state, said Oscar Temaru, leader of the Tavini Huiraatira party, which campaigns for Maohi Nui's independence, the Baku Initiative Group told Report.

He said his country would put an end to decades of French colonial rule and continue working through international platforms toward recognition as a sovereign state.

Temaru has prepared a declaration on the full sovereignty of Maohi Nui. The document is expected to be presented in New York in October during meetings of the UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee on Political and Decolonization Affairs.

According to the party leader, the main way for Maohi Nui to overcome political restrictions and institutional dependence stemming from Paris is for its people to freely determine their own future and begin the process of building a sovereign state.

Temaru argues that France's control over the territory is historically unjustified and unlawful, while the decolonization of the territory is already on the international agenda and should continue within the UN framework.

Despite years of opposition from France, French Polynesia was re-inscribed on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories by a UN General Assembly decision in 2013.

Temaru also plans to launch a petition on the issue. The initiative aims to demonstrate internationally that the political will to free Maohi Nui from French colonial rule and achieve independence comes from its own people and enjoys broad public support. Temaru considers majority support from voters an important condition for the legitimacy of the process.

The Baku Initiative Group has said it firmly supports the right of the people of Maohi Nui to self-determination and the decolonization process on international platforms. The institutional basis for the partnership was established through a document signed between the Baku Initiative Group and the Tavini Huiraatira party at the UN Office in Vienna on April 26, 2024.

France's decades-long nuclear testing in French Polynesia and the severe medical and environmental consequences for the local population, including the spread of cancer and radioactive contamination, have been cited as evidence of the consequences of French colonial rule.

Oscar Temaru, President of Tavini Huiraatira and Mayor of Fa'a'a:
Will make a statement on independence before the United Nations Fourth Committee, which is responsible for decolonization matters.

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Oscar Temaru, président du Tavini Huiraatira et maire de Fa'a'a:
Fera une… pic.twitter.com/2TsgPHMjf0

— Baku Initiative Group (@bakuinitiative) September 1, 2026