As they do every year, the SMSP Group took part in International Women’s Rights Day on March 8. This year’s theme was “Rights and Justice.”

In 2026, the SMSP Group is proud to strengthen its commitment to women through concrete, field-based actions aimed at its operational teams on the topic of sexism. These actions contribute to the recognition and, above all, the implementation of women’s rights and justice for them.

Deepening and Coordination

In 2025, the Group offered its subsidiaries—KNS, NMC and Cotransmine—awareness workshops on sexism with the participation and support of Guénolé Bouvet and Maud Le Bar. These workshops, held in Nouméa and at NMC sites, were primarily intended for women.

Following these workshops, the Group began discussions with the NMC Human Resources Department to support actions undertaken by its subsidiary in this area. During 2025, two additional initiatives were validated and implemented: the creation of posters illustrating sexist behaviour, sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape.

In the same spirit, the SMSP Group also worked on producing a pilot video clip depicting a fictional sexist situation.

During this preparation phase, the Group and the HR departments also emphasized the importance of the DLS (Delegates for the Fight Against Sexism). These delegates act as real sentinels on site regarding sexist behaviours and remarks.

In 2026, the Group rolled out these materials and actions in the field in coordination with NMC, KNS and Cotransmine.

Poster Deployment

The posters created were distributed across all Group sites: from Nouméa (SMSP-SOFINOR, NMC Ducos and Cotransmine Numbo) to Ouaco (NMC and Cotransmine Téoudié), as well as Nakéty (NMC), Poya (NMC) and Vavouto (KNS).

The main objective of these posters is to raise awareness by presenting concrete examples of sexist behaviour, sexual assault, sexual harassment or rape.

What may seem obvious is not always obvious to everyone, and visual representation helps distinguish between a joke or habit and normalized, everyday sexism.

The second key action for the Group and its subsidiaries was the organization of mixed sexism awareness workshops.

Initially offered to women only  in 2025—since they are the main people affected—both women and their male colleagues expressed the wish that these workshops be offered to all employees, regardless of gender.

This positive and encouraging sign prompted the Group and the Human Resources departments to work together throughout 2025 and 2026 to make these workshops accessible to as many employees as possible in 2026.

The workshops began on Tuesday, March 10 and Wednesday, March 11 at the NMC Ouaco site in the municipality of Kaala-Gomen. They were spread over two days and six different time slots to reach all teams, including those working at the seaside facilities.

Cotransmine employees from Téoudié also joined the NMC Ouaco seashore workshops. It was a moment of awareness and reflection for everyone, but also an opportunity to strengthen connections between subsidiaries.

Some examples of questions included:

• “Can I tell a woman ‘smile’ if I see she looks upset?” Would you say the same thing to a man if he looked upset?
• “Can I shake a woman’s hand?” Yes, if she also extends her hand. If she does not, it may mean she is not comfortable with physical contact—and that is perfectly okay.

During these workshops, the SMSP Group emphasized that the objective was not to judge or put teams on trial, but rather to identify sexist behaviours and remarks so that they can be addressed and stopped.

The goal is to enable teams to work in a safe workplace, respectful of everyone’s boundaries and free from inappropriate behaviour or comments.

Other activities were also organized during the week of March 9, including a “mobile debate” workshop. This short activity invites participants to position themselves on either side of a line on the floor depending on whether they consider a statement sexist or not.

This first workshop, which will be offered at other sites, took place at the SMSP-SOFINOR offices in Nouméa. In a light and engaging atmosphere, participants positioned themselves on the “sexist” or “non-sexist” side of the line according to the statement presented.

The exercise proved particularly interesting as it generated discussions—and sometimes debates—depending on the statements and participants’ positions. It helped raise awareness while also highlighting the nuances of behaviours and comments depending on context.

A second interactive workshop called “Future Fresco” will also be offered at sites in Nouméa. This activity allows participants to freely express their views on sexism by writing or drawing on a strip of paper the changes or improvements they would like to see.

Next Steps: Continuing Workshops and Sharing Materials

While International Women’s Rights Day takes place on a single date—March 8—the Group’s awareness campaign on sexism is intended to continue throughout the year.

Additional posters will be deployed and awareness workshops will soon continue at NMC Nakety and Poya, and at KNS, depending on operational constraints.

The Group will also continue producing educational materials, particularly awareness videos featuring volunteers from different sites.

The SMSP Group communications team would like to warmly thank and congratulate all employees who participated in the workshops, those who helped put upl the posters, and the management teams within the subsidiaries who made it possible to hold the workshops and distribute the posters.

Let us continue working together to build a healthy workplace that respects everyone’s boundaries, enabling us to achieve our operational objectives in health, safety, and in alignment with our values.

The post International Women’s Rights Day 2026 – March 8 first appeared on SMSP.

It was with nostalgia that on the 8th of December, Henri WABETE, Technical Renovation Advisor at Cotransmine, took his well-deserved retirement after 35 years of dedicated service.

Originally from Tiga, Henri has mechanics in his DNA. He started out as a mechanic in the army, then at Sotramine in Kouaoua, before joining the NMC as an assistant mechanic in Nouméa. His eagerness to learn and discover new skills later led him to train as a crane operator at the NMC.

Henri joined Cotransmine in 1990 as a maintenance agent for the renovation of barges and tugs. His responsibilities include cleaning, rustproofing and painting to prevent wear and tear and ensure the longevity of the fleet. Over the years, he improved his skills and became a technical renovation advisor in 2019. His presence at Cotransmine is living proof that a successful career is built on passion, patience and sharing.

Henri humbly acknowledges that he is part of the Group’s history, having witnessed ‘every event since Boakaine closed until now’. He hopes for only one thing: that the younger generation will continue the work with perseverance and thus uphold the company for even longer. For Henri, ‘Cotransmine is like a family with brothers and sisters’. Bonds have been forged and will never cease to exist, as demonstrated by the commemoration on the 28th of November, and which he will continue to attend every year.

In the meantime, it is a return to his roots for Henri, who will settle in Tiga for the next chapter of his life.

The post Henri Wabete: Guardian of Cotransmine’s expertise first appeared on SMSP.

As the Group faces economic challenges, SMSP has still wished to maintain its commitment to the United Nations “Orange the World” campaign to fight violence against women and girls.

This year, an educational workshop on sexism was held by SMSP and Cotransmine employees on Monday 25 November to mark the start of the campaign.

The workshop “Fresque du Sexisme”, led by the gender equality trainer, Maud LE BAR (https://ellelabiencherche.com/), brought together a dozen employees around a collective intelligence experience. The workshop was conducted in 3 phases:

• Phase 1 – Reflection: linking collective stories to individual experiences and raising awareness.
• Phase 2 – Feelings & Emotions: Exchanges on emotions and experiences.
• Phase 3 – Levers of action & scenarios: projection of everyday situations in order to avoid sexism.

This workshop allowed everyone to identify at first gender-based protests and its systemic nature, that is to say, conveyed, perpetuated and sometimes protected by society.

Whether it is the phenomenon of categorization, injunctions, organization of society or impacts, sexism is sometimes obvious, sometimes insidious. Through exchanges, the participants were able to understand the impact of gender stereotypes and give themselves the opportunity to curb gender-based dynamics.

“Worried”, “frustrated” or “lucky”, employees spoke about their feelings and their perception of sexism. A moment of intense exchange and sharing.

This workshop is part of the Group’s commitment to contribute to a better consideration of gender issues and to act on individual and collective mentalities and behaviors to reduce inequalities, gender-based violences and protests.

The post A workshop to contribute to an equal and inclusive society first appeared on SMSP.

Theme for 2024

The UN (United Nations) has published the theme for 2024: “Investing in women: accelerating the pace”.  Five key areas have been identified requiring joint action to ensure that women are not left behind.

New Caledonia: alarming figures for violence against women

In New Caledonia, 76% of women who are victims of domestic violence do not lodge a complaint. “We are witnessing a steady increase in domestic violence” described the French High Commissioner, Louis LE FRANC, in his report on crime published on 6 March 2024. “It has jumped by almost 94% since 2019”. Of the 3,000 or so people who suffered domestic violence, two-thirds, or 2,197, were assaulted by their spouse in 2023.

On 27 January 2024, more than 200 people marched through Nouméa City Centre to denounce violence against women. In 2023, New Caledonia suffered three domestic murders (in Canala, Thio and Dumbéa). In two out of three cases, the victims were women.

A workshop on mechanics: to master the handling of your vehicle

To mark this day of campaign, two mechanical workshops were conducted thanks to SMSP on its premises in the Noumea City Centre.

Although women are increasingly involved in mechanical engineering, there are still issues, such as routine vehicle maintenance, that are not necessarily passed on, as naturally to women as they are to men, especially younger men.

And yet, we all know wisdom is power. And that was the aim of the workshop: to empower women with the knowledge they need to take control of their vehicles, including in the event of a breakdown, or during a discussion with a garaged dealer.

The event was open not only to SMSP Group staff but also to its subsidiaries, including Cotransmine, which took part. As with the Orange the World Campaign in 2023, the group was keen to involve its colleagues in the building, namely AGTNC (Agence pour la Gestion des Tutelles en Nouvelle-Calédonie). Each workshop was attended by 10 participants.

A practical approach in front of a vehicle

With the trainer, Pierre-Olivier CLAIRET, the participants were able to learn or confirm their ability to carry out essential vehicle maintenance:

• Checking oil, coolant, windscreen washer and brake levels
• Check the condition of windscreen wiper blades
• Check tyre pressure and wear
• Inspect warning lights to ensure they are in good condition and functional.
• Identify the tools and steps required to change a tyre

On the basis of a handout distributed to all the participants, the trainer took the time to explain why it was important to check a level or the condition of a piece of equipment. Then, for each item, participants were invited to approach their vehicle to open the filler caps (brake fluid or windscreen washer fluid reservoirs).
It was also possible to compare the layout of certain engines, as some participants wanted to carry out the check on their own vehicles.

While some of the knowledge may seem obvious, others were instructive. For example, how to read the reference number on a tyre. It is with a certain pride that employees can now explain what each of the numbers on a tyre reference corresponds to.

In addition to the technical aspects, he has also answered many questions and dispelled a number of myths about ‘mechanics’.  For example, it is possible to use water for windscreen washer fluid (and not necessarily a product bought at a service station), but it may not wash as well. On the other hand, it is not advisable to put water in the coolant tank, as this could rust the cooling system.

Finally, the trainer answered questions relating to incidents that can occur on the road:

• In the event of aquaplaning, the rule is not to brake
• In the event of flooding, it is not advisable to drive through, because if the air intake is at engine level, there is a risk of sucking in water as the vehicle passes and drowning the engine (literally).
• In the event of a punctured tyre, and if you have no choice but to “drive on the rim”, it is advisable to change the tyre even if you have the tyre “mishandled” or use a foam spray afterwards. This is because damage can occur to the inside of the tyre when you drive on the rim, and the rim can even be damaged.

All the participants said they had learned something, and as one of them said, “it’s always useful to refresh your knowledge”.

Women’s Rights Day in the subsidiaries: a shared commitment

NMC, an artistic initiative

For its part, NMC organised breakfasts for women to mark the occasion.

During these breakfasts, all female employees at the four mining sites were invited to take part in an art competition, by drawing or writing on an A0 poster that had been put up on the wall for this purpose.

Finally, all employees were invited to send a selfie with a quote of their choice representing women’s rights.

A colour code of purple, white or green was suggested to mark the day.

Cotransmine: Mechanical workshop and purple wristband

As it traditionally does every year, Cotransmine joined forces with the SMSP teams in Noumea to take part in mechanical workshops.

All employees were also invited to wear purple bracelets on their wrists to mark World Women’s Rights Day.

The post International Women’s Rights Day 2024 – For the 4th year running, the SMSP Group and its subsidiaries are committed to the cause first appeared on SMSP.

Cohesion, warmth, sharing, commitment and environment are a few words that can sum up this Kouaoua Environment Day. Ludmilla VIRIAMU, in charge of animation at the Kouaoua City Hall, was thanked several times for the accurate organization set up which allowed the partners to share their know-how and creativity with pedagogy to children from kindergarten, elementary and secondary school.

Nearly 200 children from Kouaoua and Canala, invited for the occasion, were able to enjoy the workshops both at school building, mangrove and mining site.

All participants and children arrived on the elementary school site of Faja (Kouaoua) from 6:00 a.m. to set up classrooms and tents in front of the school. At 8:30 a.m., everyone was invited to gather in front of school for the opening speeches. The representatives of the City Hall, the Faja Elementary School and the Kouaoua and Canala’s Secondary schools gave speeches, highlighting the importance of the environment and its fundamental place in the present and the future of everyone. Two brave elementary school students shared environmental poems with confidence. Participants and children were then invited to enjoy an American-style breakfast offered by Kouaoua City Hall.

The NMC, Cotransmine and Koniambo Nickel team arrived on-site around 7:00 a.m. to set up and identify the locations and their colleagues of the day. A great opportunity for everyone to share with the other partners invited. Bringing togetehr know-how and the mobilization of existing and active actors are of no question regarding environmental actions, as reminded by the talks with the Association Ho-Üt, CIE and Environord members.

SMSP and its subsidiaries led two workshops:

• An information workshop was led in one of the classroom at the Faja school by Andy WRIGHT (Koniambo Nickel), Margaux LUSSIGNOL (NMC) and Sofia KONYI (NMC).

• A mine replant workshop led by the NMC team from Kouaoua and Noumea including Clarisse KAPARIN and her team, and Jonathan GONY. 70 plants of endemic species were planted by the 40 students. Few pictures to recall the main steps of this workshop.

Clarisse KAPARIN and her team welcomed and guided the children on their arrival at Sotramine site where the plantation was located.

Jonathan GONYled a safety quarter-hour, then a presentation of the species that were going to be planted, highlighting that Caledonia had 14 endemic species among the 20 species of arraucaria existing in the world. Then, with the children, he explained the steps for planting, the drilling having already been done by NMC’s usual partner, SIRAS.

From explanation to practice, children of 9^th and 10^th grade, and of elementary school (4^th & 5^th grade) did not wait long before grabbing the plants and getting into action. The supervisors themselves, Brandon, Ophélie (elementary school teacher) and Clarisse, as well as our driver, Nico, participated with enthusiasm and professionalism to ensure the safety and smooth running of the workshop.

A mangrove seedling planting workshop was also planned for the same group brought to Mine. However, for reasons of time, it was not possible to lead it. The Head of Cotransmine, Donald BEMARON, had prepared a dedicated area for planting. This is only a matter of time for him and SMSP who will continue its commitment alongside the City Hall and the Elementary School. The Director of the Elementary School, Julianna PONGA, has been working with her teaching team for some time now to launch activities related to environment. Thus, the children maintain an homemade seedling nursery and regularly carry out replanting activities, with complete autonomy. As such, a group went to the mangrove in the morning to follow-up with their plantation from previous workshop.

In parallel with the NMC-Koniambo nickel workshop, the other partners present and the teachers themselves held workshops on various topics within the Faja school and under the tents outside.

The Association of KIDAMS on the theme of the “Eco-Citizen Brigade” enchanted the youngest under the premise of the school.

The SVT teacher from Kouaoua College provided a Microscope workshop, an opportunity to discover the perspective of the infinitely small environment.

The Association Ho-Üt de Touho with its three members, Stéphane, Didier and Amaury, explained the process of plastic waste circulation, especially into the sea. The children could see the power of the ocean in that it always throws onto the beaches, our beaches, all that is carelessly thrown overboard.

EnviroNord and CIE provided outside information workshops that captivated children, but also often adults.

The morning of the workshop ended with a shared meal offered by the City Hall, the taste buds of the participants were served, to say the least.

The event was a success for SMSP Group and its subsidiaries, NMC, Cotransmine and Koniambo Nickel. We want to thank Koniambo Nickel for coming from far away to participate and for the goodies including Koniambo Nickel caps that the children wore the whole day after thhe workshop.

Also, SMSP Group would like to thank dearly Kouaoua City Hall and its team, and the schools who organized this event and allowed us to contribute.

The post 2nd Edition of Kouaoua Environment Day first appeared on SMSP.

Cotransmine organized on January 15, at the Téoudié site at Ouaco, an awareness campaign on “the conditions of: use, application and safety of paints & solvents”. This educational and informative animation was performed by Morgan BALLOT of Speed ​​Marine Company. It meets a business need to master the use of paint, blends and dosages to optimize costs and working time.

Far from the aesthetic aim, the painting of barges and tugs aims primarily to protect them from marine aggressions, ultraviolet rays and to preserve them over the long term from corrosion.

These regular operations are essential and are part of the conventional maintenance planning for all of the Cotransmine loading sites.

Three themes were discussed during this day: preparation of surfaces and working environment; application techniques and mixtures; security and storage.

Surface preparation

The pre-painting step is cleaning, as far as possible, of any corrosion of the barges and tugs’ surface (or hull).

Painting is a chronological and scheduled activity. Indeed, temperature and humidity must be taken into account before any process. If temperature or humidity are too high, the paint may not dry or crack.

Thus, according to the season and the weather, it is essential to plan the daily painting activities, in particular for the application of several layers with a sufficient interval.

Application techniques, mixtures and types of paint

In order to know, among other things, dosages to be applied, the type of diluent and the drying time, it is necessary to refer to each product’s label. The technical data sheet also gives indications relating to safety and ecological safety standards. This essential information facilitates use and limit losses and risks associated with the product.

The last step is cleaning the tools. The tools should be cleaned immediately after use, with cellulose thinner, acetone or even thinner, but never with water.

Security and storage

The use of all paints requires appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Thus, any employee carrying out a painting activity must wear at least appropriate gloves and safety glasses.

Due to the possible vapors, it is advisable to work in a ventilated environment, which is generally the case. However, for painting tug cabins, it is recommended to wear a mask with cartridges.

Finally, the paint must be stored in a sheltered, ventilated place with retention basins. In order to avoid confusion, store the paints with each other.

The post Cotransmine – Technical maintenance activities of barges and tugs first appeared on SMSP.