The government of Vanuatu has formally requested that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) adjudicate a decades-old territorial disagreement regarding the Matthew and Hunter islands. These two uninhabited islands, located in the Pacific, are currently under French administration, a status that Vanuatu is actively challenging through international legal channels.

France has firmly reasserted its sovereignty over the islands, complicating Vanuatu’s efforts to bring the matter to the ICJ. Under the court's current rules, the case cannot move forward without the explicit consent of both involved parties. Because France has not consented to the jurisdiction of the court in this specific matter, the legal path forward remains blocked. In response to this impasse, Vanuatu has indicated it may seek a resolution through the UN General Assembly to apply further pressure on Paris.

The islands are considered strategically significant, though they remain uninhabited. The dispute represents a broader tension regarding colonial-era territorial legacies in the Pacific region. While Vanuatu is pushing for an international legal determination, France’s refusal to engage in the ICJ process suggests that the status quo is unlikely to change without significant diplomatic or political intervention at the United Nations level.