The country was a particularly active member in the 1980s, when, governed by Prime Minister Father Walter Lini and represented by Ambassador Robert Van Lierop, it was a consistent advocate for decolonisation.

[1] 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.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in September 2008, ni-Vanuatu President Kalkot Mataskelekele stated: Vanuatu in the 2000s and 2010s has not entirely ceased to promote the cause of decolonisation.

In September 2004, Foreign Affairs Minister Barak Sopé, addressing the General Assembly, asked that West Papua be added once more to the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories, and stated: In August 2018, Foreign Affairs Minister Ralph Regenvanu announced the government's intention to submit a resolution calling for West Papua's renewed inclusion on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories.

[14] Indonesia's representative responded by accusing Vanuatu of supporting "separatist individuals" and "criminal[s]", and of "challenging the internationally agreed principles of friendly relations between states, sovereignty and territorial integrity".