'Tokelau will get there...'

Colony’s progress to freedom reviewed by UN

One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s enduring foreign policy embarrassments is that it remains one of the last imperial nations.

As a holder of a colony, its diplomats have to regularly front up before a United Nations’ committee, cap in hand. With appropriate paperwork, the diplomats explain what they are doing to restore freedom and justice to the oppressed peoples that they rule over. In this case, the 1600 people of Tokelau, Aotearoa’s South Pacific colony. To further rub the embarrassment in, Aotearoa’s civil service in charge is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their staff may be good at cocktails (except in London where they forget karakia), but running atolls is not really their thing. And the Department of Island Territories was abolished long back.

This month Aotearoa was back before the UN Special Committee on Decolonization (or the Committee of 24 or C24) which was reviewing the slow progress toward Tokelau independence. Among the nations earnestly studying Aotearoa’s progress were those paragons of freedom and rights, China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Syria. Before them was the Ulu of Tokelau, Kelihiano Kalolo, and the Administrator, Donald Higgins, who both explained that due to Covid-19 lockdowns it had been three years since Tokelau had appeared before C24. Lockdown, vaccines and, said, Kalolo, ‘high herd immunity of 96 percent’, meant Tokelau had escaped the worst of the virus.

He had other good news, Tokelau would have another shot at C24’s desired self-determination.

After two earlier failures, Tokelau has decided it will make a third, seemingly more considered bid at an independence referendum.

‘Tokelau will get there,’ the Ulu said. Higgins added the General Fono or local assembly had decided they would try to move from colony (or territory as Wellington diplomats prefer) to independence in free association with New Zealand, pretty much the same as the Cook Islands and Niue. ‘Tokelau is very much committed to self-determination,’ Higgins said.

The referendum, which will surely be supervised by the UN, would be in 2025, to coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of New Zealand administration over Tokelau.

Tokelau's 2006 referendum. Photos Michael Field

Tokelau has had two unsuccessful UN referendums on the issue, in 2006 and 2007. On both occasions the vote in favour of self government failed to reach the required two thirds in favour. Internal disputes, particularly around the northern atoll of Atafu and one of its pastor’s sexual infidelities, affected the outcome. Higgins, who did not hold the post then, told the committee that the next time they expected ‘a clear and conclusive outcome’ in which full independence, self-government or integration with New Zealand would be options. Not there is merging with Sāmoa, 600 kilometres to the south.