SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NEW-CALEDONIA

This paper addresses the issue of sustainable development in New Caledonia and the consequences of this for the future self-determination of the territory. Specifically, it asks whether New Caledonia will benefit from the development program known as the Matignon accords or whether it will be adversely affected by it. Will the Matignon accords lead to the ecologically sustainable growth which is necessary for long-term economic independence? The author argues that the current development policies in New Caledonia should not be limited to the economic level alone. For development to be truly sustainable, native wisdom and knowledge need to be incorporated into the development paradigm being used to implement socioeconomic change in the territory - not only at the grassroots level but at the national policy level as well.