Vanuatu and The United Nations - 1980s: The Lini and Van Lierop Years

1980s: The Lini and Van Lierop Years

In 1980, when the newly independent Vanuatu joined the United Nations, its Prime Minister, Walter Lini, asked Robert Van Lierop, an American film director and civil rights activist, to be its Permanent Representative at the United Nations. The two men had met when Vanuatu had been a topic of discussion at the U.N. just prior to its independence. Van Lierop accepted, and represented Vanuatu for over a decade. He was, throughout the 1980s, Vanuatu's only diplomat stationed permanently in New York, and he visited Vanuatu twice a year on average.

As Vanuatu's ambassador, and following instructions from the ni-Vanuatu government, he campaigned within the U.N. against apartheid in South Africa, and in favour of decolonisation for East Timor, Western Sahara, West Papua and New Caledonia, among others. Van Lierop stated in 1990 that "On the issue of decolonisation, in particular for New Caledonia, Vanuatu is recognised as one of the principal promoters of independence, and this has resulted in great respect for our country". Vanuatu was a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, and Lini's government cherished its independence, emphasising that Vanuatu had its own voice at the United Nations, eshewing alignment with either the Western bloc or the Eastern bloc.

In 1988, Van Lierop became Vice-President of 43rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. In 1990, he was chairman of the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization, in keeping with Vanuatu's long-standing efforts in that field.