The Matignon Agreements were agreements signed in the Hôtel Matignon by Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Jacques Lafleur on 26 June 1988 between loyalists who wanted to keep

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

as a part of the

French Republic France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and separatists, who wanted independence. The agreements were arranged under the aegis of the

Government of France The Government of France (, ), officially the Government of the French Republic (, ), exercises Executive (government), executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister of France, prime minister, who is the head of government, ...

as a result of discussions and compromises arranged by Christian Blanc, the negotiator for Michel Rocard's government.

Description

The accords set up a ten-year period of development. Institutional and economical provisions were made for the Kanak community. The New Caledonians agreed not to raise the independence issue during this period. The agreements provided amnesty for those involved in the Ouvéa cave hostage taking incident of 1988 and prohibuted all proceedings in regard to the deaths of four gendarmes and 19 members of the independentist Kanaks. The Matignon Agreements were approved by French and New Caledonian voters in a referendum held on 6 November 1988 in which voters were asked, "Do you agree to allow New Caledonian residents to vote for

self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...

in 1998?". A majority voters – 80% – voted for New Caledonian residents to determine whether or not to institute self-determination. The voter participation in the referendum was 37%, with 12% of the ballots blank or void. A year after signing the accords FLNKS leaders Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Yeiwéné Yeiwéné were assassinated by FLNKS militants who opposed to peace deal. On 5 May 1998, the Nouméa Accord was signed under the aegis of Lionel Jospin. It scheduled a twenty-year transition until a planned vote on the transfer of sovereignty in 2018. The territory would be fully autonomous, except for the fields of the military, security, the

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

and

finance Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...

, which would remain competencies of France. The accord was approved by 72% of voters in referendum in New Caledonia that was held on 8 November. Décision du 9 novembre 1998 proclamant les résultats de la consultation des populations de la Nouvelle-Calédonie du dimanche 8 novembre 1998
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References

{{reflist History of New Caledonia Treaties concluded in 1988 Treaties entered into force in 1988 Treaties of France 1988 in France 1988 in New Caledonia Treaties of New Caledonia