PORT VILA — Vanuatu has taken a major legal step in its long-running territorial dispute with France by instituting proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over sovereignty of the Matthew and Hunter Islands and the maritime boundary between Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

The case concerns Umaenupne (Matthew) and Umaeneg/Leka (Hunter), islands that Vanuatu says have longstanding cultural and historical connections with communities in the country’s southern islands.

Deputy Prime Minister Johnny Koanapo, who leads Vanuatu’s work on maritime boundaries, sovereignty and decolonisation, said the government had concluded that judicial proceedings offered the clearest route toward resolving the dispute after decades of diplomatic engagement.

Vanuatu said previous bilateral negotiations with France had failed to produce a final settlement. The government now wants the ICJ to provide an authoritative determination on sovereignty and maritime boundaries.

The dispute also involves the maritime area between Vanuatu and New Caledonia, the French territory located in the southwest Pacific.

The Vanuatu government has framed the case within its broader commitment to international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Officials said the islands have deep cultural significance for communities in Aneityum, Futuna and Tanna, where longstanding family and cultural links with the disputed territory remain part of local identity.

The legal action represents an important development in Vanuatu’s decolonisation and maritime-boundary agenda.

Vanuatu has stressed that its decision to approach the ICJ is intended to provide a peaceful legal mechanism rather than escalate tensions with France.

The case could eventually have implications for maritime boundaries and the management of surrounding ocean areas, depending on the court’s proceedings and findings.

The development comes as Vanuatu continues to strengthen its regional diplomacy and cooperation on issues including climate resilience, technology and Pacific governance.

The country has also been developing stronger early-warning and disaster-monitoring systems, including a network of automatic river gauges designed to improve flood forecasting and emergency preparedness.

The ICJ proceedings now place the sovereignty dispute within an international legal framework, potentially opening a new chapter in Vanuatu’s decades-long effort to resolve the issue.