Overview

Before 1961, Wallis and Futuna was a French protectorate, then a colony administered from New Caledonia. In 1961 it became a French overseas territory and in 2003 a French overseas collectivity. Wallis and Futuna is comprised of three main islands (Wallis, Futuna and Alofi) and a number of tiny islets. It is located 280 km northeast of Fiji and 370 km west of Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean. The territory itself is split between the two main island groups (Wallis and Futuna) lying about 260 kilometres apart.

The population of Wallis and Futuna is approximately 12,000. The Wallisian and Futunan community in New Caledonia numbers some 30,000.

Political overview

Wallisian and Futunans are French citizens and have the right to live anywhere in France. They are entitled to vote in local and national (French) elections. The President of the French Republic is the Head of State and represented in Wallis and Futuna by a Prefect, currently Mr Hervé Jonathan. The Prefect is the head of the territory with executive power. Although the Prefect administers most sectors of government, they have no influence over customary matters. Wallis and Futuna is represented by one Senator in the French Senate and one Member of the French National Assembly.

The Territorial Assembly, comprising 20 democratically elected members, elected for five year terms, is responsible for most social and economic matters. The last elections were held on 26 March 2017. The Assembly's decisions require the Prefect's approval to become law.

There are also three municipal councils (Uvea on Wallis, and Alo and Sigave on Futuna), which are modelled on the islands’ traditional monarchies (see below) and which have their own budget and responsibilities similar to those of a local council.

Under the 1961 statute, France agreed to maintain three monarchies (one in Wallis and two in Futuna) in which customary rights exist and co-exist within French law. The kings are remunerated by the French Government. Each customary monarchy consists of a king, appointed by the royal families, assisted by a prime minister and a 'chefferie', which is comprised of the village chiefs. The kings are responsible for managing land and familial disputes and for religious and customary ceremonies.

The three pillars on which Wallis and Futuna rest are custom (empowered by the monarchy system), the Catholic Church and the French State. There is little local sentiment in favour of independence from France but there is discussion about giving the Territorial Assembly greater autonomy over local affairs.

Foreign relations

Wallis and Futuna is a member of the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Island Development Fund, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation, South Pacific Regional Environment Program and has been an associate member of the Pacific Islands Forum since 2018.

The majority of the territory’s external relations are with other French entities, especially its fellow French Pacific territory’s New Caledonia and French Polynesia. A framework agreement governing institutional relations between Wallis and Futuna and New Caledonia was signed in December 2003. The agreement commits New Caledonia and France to support the economic development of Wallis and Futuna, particularly regarding access to employment, social services and health arrangements.

Bilateral relations

The Australian Consul-General in Noumea is accredited to Wallis and Futuna.

Due to its low GNI, Wallis and Futuna is the only ODA-eligible French Pacific Territory. The Australian aid program (through the Consulate-General in Noumea) offers Australia Award scholarships and the Direct Aid Program (DAP) small grants scheme in Wallis and Futuna. Most recently, we have funded projects on education, culture and heritage, water sanitation, emergency response training, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Australia, in partnership with New Zealand, the SPC, the Pacific Islands Health Officers Association and the World Health Organisation, supported the increase in Wallis and Futuna’s COVID-19 testing capacity through the provision and transportation of GeneXpert cartridges.

People-to-people links

In 1999, Australia's scholarship program (Australia Awards) was extended to Wallis and Futuna. Since 2000, 15 students from Wallis and Futuna have received scholarships.

Over the past few years, a number of Australians have also worked as Language Assistants in Wallis and Futuna, teaching English to local schoolchildren.

Trade and investment

Australia is Wallis and Futuna's seventh largest trading partner, after France, Singapore, New Caledonia, the European Union, Fiji and New Zealand, with an estimated value of imports into the territory of $4.85 million in 2018. Wallis and Futuna exports little, its main exports being seafood and arts and crafts.

High-level visits and meetings

July 2011: Then Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, the Hon. Richard Marles, visited Wallis and Futuna to attend the 50th anniversary of its constitutional statute, in the capital Mata'Utu.