There are strong calls for cultural solidarity echoing across New Caledonia over France's reluctance to loose its colonial hold on the territory edging towards independence.

It comes after a prominent Kanak politician specifically warned the Indigenous electorate earlier in the month that the promised Bougival agreement that was set to replace the Noumea accord was fundamentally "dead".

The French government rejected a new political statute for New Caledonia while refusing to hold debate in the national legislature ahead of a 190-107 vote against the proposal.

The Bougival agreement was signed in July of last year by French President Emmanuel Macron and a decisive number of New Caledonian party leaders to reshape the Melanesian archipelago and create the autonomous State of New Caledonia with its unique citizenship to also remain a part of France.

Emmanuel Tjibaou, the leader of the independence party, Union Calédonienne, was one of two New Caledonia members in the French national assembly that witnessed the legislation's sharp demise.

"Bougival is dead," he said.

"The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front rejected it last August and now the (majority of French) parliamentarians have rejected the text.

"So, I don't see under what title they can propose it again."

The government had put forward legislation to implement political agreements drafted by the French state, with five of six New Caledonian parliamentary groups agreeing to terms.

France had previously agreed to New Caledonia's demands in 1998 under the Noumea accord, outlining a 20-year decolonisation process that transfers key powers to local institutions amid promised independence referendums every three years.

"We had statements of principle issued by the Rassemblement National and a number of other groups, saying they'd vote to reject the bill," Mr Tjibaou said.

"But beyond these statements of principle, what really counts is the vote.

"People may say they will vote for it, but they do not turn out to vote when the time comes, so in that sense, I called for a public commitment in very clear terms."

But the adverse effects of a breakdown in talks have since led to a joint statement from the New Caledonian Non-Government Organisation (NGO), lending their voices to a freedom movement to permit the territory's citizens to decide on their future ahead of local elections on June 21.

Paris has confirmed that elections will take place despite ongoing issues with Noumea, but civil society groups in New Caledonia are maintaining a close watch on the unravelling relations between the parties.

"It's imperative to support the holding of the election by (June 28) at the latest in order to restore stable institutional legitimacy and bring an end to a dangerous period of democratic uncertainty," the NGO statement on Wednesday said.

Another worrying sign that also emerged for New Caledonia are the 'contested agreements' that once were negotiated with political entities whose mandate have since expired.

The most recent negotiations invariably happened without the presence or voice of its Indigenous Kanak legislature representatives that also includes Alcide Ponga.

"France must understand that its credibility and its place in this region do not depend on its material strength, but on its ability to respect the history of this great ocean by honouring its decolonisation commitments before the sovereign and dignified nations of the Pacific," the NGO statement said.

The call for a return to an authentic democratic process did not happen in a vacuum, the NGO stated.

They lay a "lot of the blame" squarely at the feet of the French authorities taking a bullish approach while failing to consider the delicate balance of negotiations that needs to be maintained toward advancing New Caledonia's cause.

The 2024 uprisings were a direct response to the failure of that approach.

The aftershocks were reflected by a recession, and a 13.5 per cent rise in unemployment with 11,500 people losing their jobs.

France is being called upon to re-engage constructively with flexibility, letting go of past colonial attitudes and to embrace the spirit of the Ocean of Peace - a diplomatic initiative and declaration by the Pacific Islands Forum that ensures the region remains a zone of peace, security and cooperation.