Nuku’alofa – July 2024. His Majesty’s Hon Consul General Anthony Bailey visited Tonga and met with the Honourable Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoukamanu, Minister for Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change, Communication, and CERT (MEIDECC) of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Previously she had served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Tonga during which she officially visited Portugal in August 2022. The reason for her visit to Portugal was to attend the United Nations Ocean Conference, co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya, which focused on mobilising solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The meeting with Mr Bailey took place at the Ministry in Nuku’alofa. During the discussions, Minister ‘Utoukamanu explored opportunities for collaboration, particularly in the areas of sustainable development and climate change.
Hon. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoukamanu has had a prominent career in diplomacy and public service. She served as Tonga’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2005 to 2009, where she represented Tonga’s interests on the international stage, addressing critical issues such as climate change. In April 2017, she was appointed as the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, a role that also conferred the rank of Under-Secretary-General. This appointment made her the highest-ranking Pacific Islander at the United Nations.
