Vanuatu

French presence

Vanuatu’s French community is made up of approximately 2,150 nations, including nearly 900 binationals. A total of 650 students were enrolled in the French Lycée in Port Vila in 2023.

Visits

• July 2025: Visit to France by Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Jotham Napat,
• July 2023: Visit to Vanuatu by President Emmanuel Macron, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, and the Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou,
• March 2023: Visit to Vanuatu by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, accompanied by the Minister of State for Citizenship, Sonia Backès,
• February 2023: Visit to France by Vanuatu’s Foreign Minister, Jotham Napat,
• November 2022: Visit to Vauatu by the French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou.

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

Vanuatu is a multilingual State. French is one of its three official languages and used by 35% of the population. Vanuatu is a member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

The Alliance Française of Port Vila is the only agency working for cultural and linguistic cooperation. It offers French as a foreign language courses and extramural classes for companies and Vanuatu’s administrations. French education is provided by the Le Clézio de Port Vila Lycée, a school under contract with the Ministry of National Education and registered with the Agency for French Education Abroad. Educational and linguistic cooperation benefits from significant synergies with neighbouring New Caledonia.

Education, including basic education, is a priority sector of Vanuatu’s Government, to which it dedicates nearly 25% of its budget. France is actively involved in the development of the National University of Vanuatu.

Vanuatu has been a recipient of the Kiwa Initiative since 2020, with a budget of €77 million in 2024, and which was launched by the AFD. It is the fruit of an unprecedented partnership initiated by France and the European Union and also involving Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It seeks to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems, economies and communities of Oceania to the effects of climate change through subsidies and technical assistance.