New Caledonia's future looms large at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting after a fact-finding mission to the crisis-hit country was officially delayed.
New Caledonia was rocked by violence in May with widespread damage and 10 deaths in the aftermath of proposed voting reforms by colonial power France.
A new United Nations statement suggests thousands of pro-independence Kanak protesters were arrested, many wrongfully, by French authorities.
A group of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders hoped to visit Noumea this month and report back to regional leaders at next week's gathering in Tonga.
However, a spat between politicians in Paris and Noumea meant terms could not be agreed for the visiting PIF leaders.
"The New Caledonia government has identified a number of issues regarding due process and protocol that will need to be addressed prior to a ... visit," PIF chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said.
Mr Brown confirmed on Wednesday that the "Troika" mission of himself, the Fiji and Tonga prime ministers, would be postponed.
"The situation in New Caledonia will be discussed at the Leaders meeting, which will provide further guidance on the way forward to support the situation," he said.
"The Forum family reaffirms its full commitment to support New Caledonia as best as it can during this time, including through the Troika-led mission to New Caledonia at a mutually agreed time."
New Caledonia prime minister Louis Mapou requested the PIF mission, but reports suggest France insisted on the terms of the group, upsetting New Caledonian officials.
The UN statement expresses grave concerns at the "extremely volatile and uncertain" situation.
"We are very concerned by the absence of dialogue, the excessive use of force, the ongoing deployment of military forces and the continued reports of human rights violations that have targeted thousands of Kanak Indigenous people for taking part in protests since May 2024," three UN experts said in a statement released on Wednesday (AEST).
The UN believes thousands of Kanak protesters were arrested, many arbitrarily, and detained, and dozens were deported to mainland France.
"Five-hundred Kanak persons would have been victims of enforced disappearance. We also received information about the alleged criminalisation of Kanak human rights defenders through the abusive application of criminal law," they said.
"The French government must take steps to investigate the violence committed during these demonstrations and bring the perpetrators to justice."
