Relationship dossier
Indonesia
Vanuatu
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation coexists with sustained disagreement over Vanuatu’s advocacy on Papua.
Indonesia toward Vanuatu
-10Indonesia provided humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam. The Indonesian government has also opposed Vanuatu’s advocacy concerning Papua, a recurring source of bilateral friction.
Vanuatu toward Indonesia
-35Vanuatu has repeatedly raised human rights and self-determination concerns relating to Indonesia’s Papua region in international forums. This advocacy has drawn strong opposition from the Indonesian government.
Overall relationship
-20The relationship combines occasional practical cooperation, including Indonesian disaster assistance, with a persistent political dispute over Vanuatu’s advocacy on Papua. That issue weighs on bilateral ties, while the known assistance indicates some capacity for cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Indonesia and Vanuatu have had practical engagement, including Indonesian humanitarian assistance after Cyclone Pam. Relations are also strained by Vanuatu’s repeated advocacy concerning human rights and self-determination in Indonesia’s Papua region, which the Indonesian government rejects. The Papua issue is a prominent source of friction, although the known record also includes cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Vanuatu’s international advocacy on human rights and self-determination in Indonesia’s Papua region, rejected by Indonesia.
Key developments
Indonesia provided humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu following Cyclone Pam.
Vanuatu raised concerns about human rights and self-determination in Indonesia’s Papua region in international forums, prompting Indonesian opposition.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and continuity of bilateral development and diplomatic cooperation are unclear.
- The extent to which humanitarian assistance led to sustained bilateral programs is unclear.