Vanuatu

Formerly called the New Hebrides, Vanuatu was a jointly administered British and French territory prior to achieving independence in 1980. Since then, this multiparty parliamentary system has suffered from unstable coalitions and political tumult, often attributed to Vanuatu’s socio-cultural fragmentation and weak parties. The Ni-Vanuatu comprise the overwhelming majority of the population, but the English-French linguistic divide, regional differences, ideology, and personalism have contributed to partisan troubles. Corruption and clientelism remain major issues that threaten the country’s ability to respond to crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic and frequent natural disasters. Environmental issues loom large, as Vanuatu is one of the countries most affected by climate change and rising sea levels.  

Vanuatuan women continue to face significant discrimination, and many live under the specter of domestic violence; however, progress is being made on this front, as new legislation seeks to combat gender-based violence. Additional concerns include a significant underrepresentation of women in politics and a lack of access to modern contraceptives. With these issues largely excluded from the public sphere, the country’s politics have been dominated largely by economic and development issues. Infrastructure, as well as schools and basic services, have all been hampered by limited resources and insufficient investment. Inequality and an uneven distribution of these resources have long been identified as key issues, including by the Government of Vanuatu. Given the dispossession of land under colonial rule, land ownership remains a political issue and repeated legislative interventions have been necessary over the years to protect land rights. 

One controversial approach to growing the country’s economy has been the Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, which highlights the low tax rates available to investors. Even more hotly debated is the practice of selling citizenships and passports. While the sale of citizenships has kept the economy afloat during the pandemic, some Ni-Vanuatu fear that the policy risks undercutting the value of the national passport and harming relations with other countries as a result of the fact that many unscrupulous figures take advantage of the policy.  

Looking ahead, it will be important to watch how government coalitions impact Effective Parliament. Recent moves by the judiciary to crack down on graft could impact Absence of Corruption and Judicial Independence. It will also be important to see how planned investments in infrastructure affect Basic Welfare. Vanuatu’s future depends in large part on the world’s response to climate change, and it is leading international diplomatic efforts to obtain a judgement from the International Court of Justice on national obligations to combat it.