BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 4. In response to President's directives, French Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories, Gérald Darmanin, has announced his inaugural participation in the 4th Committee of the UN General Assembly addressing French Polynesia.
In light of France's ongoing adversarial stance toward Azerbaijan, a conference titled "Decolonization: A Quiet Revolution" was convened on September 22 during the UN General Assembly's High-Level Week at the UN headquarters. This conference was organized by the Baku Initiative Group.
Approximately 30 advocates of independence from various French overseas territories worldwide attended this event. It stands out as the first UN gathering on decolonization featuring the active involvement of overseas territories. Subsequent to the conference, participants signed a document that was translated into four languages (English, French, Spanish, and Russian), receiving coverage from over 20 foreign media outlets.
During the conference, attendees called upon France to abandon its colonial policies and adhere to the resolutions on decolonization passed by the UN General Assembly. Additionally, the delegation representing French Polynesia condemned the French Ambassador for dramatically leaving the room during their speeches in the 4th Committee (Committee on Special Political and Decolonization Issues) of the UN General Assembly, while official Paris refrained from engaging in dialogue with them.
This occurrence underscores how the Baku Initiative Group's conference in New York has disconcerted France and prompted it to initiate discussions with its overseas territories.