"Corte Declaration" adopted against colonial mechanisms of France

The 44th edition of the "International Days" event, organized by the political movement Nazione, which advocates for Corsican independence, was held in the city of Corte in Corsica.

This was reported by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG).

Representatives of the International Decolonization Front, established in July 2024 in Baku with the support of BIG, also participated in the event. The organization unites political parties and movements advocating for the independence of overseas territories under the colonial administration of France and the Netherlands.

Following the event, the International Decolonization Front adopted the "Corte Declaration."

The document notes that similar mechanisms of colonial exploitation are applied across various geographical territories under French administration, which, according to the authors of the declaration, violate the fundamental rights and sovereignty of indigenous peoples.

The declaration also states that the economic policy of official Paris, in the opinion of the document's authors, leads to the exploitation of local resources, rising cost of living and unemployment, forcing young people to leave their native territories, emigrate, or depend on social benefits.

Furthermore, it is asserted that with the support of the French legal system, lands belonging to the local population are being alienated, conditions are created for speculation in the interests of foreign investors, and "settler colonization" continues, aimed at changing the demographic structure of the territories and turning indigenous peoples into minorities on their own land.

The document also states that French authorities use force against peaceful activists and movements opposing colonialism and subject them to criminal prosecution.

The authors of the declaration specifically mentioned the environmental and humanitarian damage caused by the use of the pesticide chlordecone in Martinique and Guadeloupe. In their opinion, the actions of French authorities and the judicial system regarding this issue have created an atmosphere of impunity.

The International Decolonization Front called on France to cease denying the national and political subjectivity of the peoples of overseas territories and to stop recognizing them exclusively as "island communities."

The declaration also mentions the Bougival Agreements in New Caledonia (Kanaky), the Beauvau process in Corsica, and negotiations ongoing in other regions.

The Front stated that it considers each of these territories a separate nation possessing historical and international legal legitimacy, as well as the right to self-determination.

Referring to UN General Assembly Resolution No. 75/123, which provides for the elimination of colonialism, the International Decolonization Front declared its intention to continue legal, diplomatic, and political efforts at the international level.

The organization also stated that it would seek the inclusion of overseas territories under French administration in the official UN list of territories subject to decolonization and would continue this collective strategy.