Feleti Teo

Education

Feleti Teo received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, and a Master of Laws degree in Public Law from Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.

Career

Teo was the first Tuvaluan to serve as the Attorney General of Tuvalu and Head of Legal and Judicial Services of Tuvalu from 1991 to 2000. During Teo's tenure, Cameron Dick served as the Acting Attorney General of Tuvalu from 1995 to 1996 while Teo undertook postgraduate studies at the Australian National University in Canberra. Iakoba Italeli succeeded Teo as the Attorney General of Tuvalu in 2002.

From 2000 to 2006, he was Director General of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), based in Honiara, Solomon Islands. From 2007 to 2013 he served as Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), headquartered in Fiji.

In 2014, Teo was appointed interim secretary general for the newly established regional organisation, the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), which he held until his appointment to the WCPFC. Teo was appointed to head the WCPFC Secretariat as executive director in December 2014.

Teo was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to government.

Teo Ministry

Main article: Teo Ministry

Following his appointment as prime minister, In March 2024, Teo described his government's top priority was climate change. The development challenges Tuvalu faces were described by Teo as including the need to improve medical and educational services to Tuvalu's outer islands.

The Teo government, in a statement published by Simon Kofe on 28 February 2024, gave support for the “broad principles and objectives” of the Falepili Union, while noting “the absence of transparency and consultations in socializing and informing the public in Tuvalu of such an important and groundbreaking initiative”; and indicated that Tuvalu will seek changes to make it "workable". The statement also address Tuvalu's relations with Taiwan: "The new government wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the long-term and lasting special relationship between Tuvalu and the Republic of China, Taiwan".

In his first interview as prime minister, Teo said “[o]ur ties with Taiwan are purely based on democratic principles and they have been very loyal to us.” Teo said that the part of the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union treaty, he wanted to review was the clause stipulating that both countries must “mutually agree” on any security arrangements Tuvalu may want with other countries. Subsequently, Teo said he wanted arrangements to guarantee Tuvalu's sovereignty that "stop short of revising the treaty."

On 26 March 2024, Pat Conroy, Australia's Pacific minister, tabled the Falepili Union treaty in the Australian Parliament for the propose of obtaining ratification of the treaty. Conroy stated “[t]he new government of Tuvalu has confirmed its desire to proceed with the Falepili Union”. The Falepili Union had been an issue in the 2024 Tuvaluan general election regarding its impact on the sovereignty of Tuvalu. Conroy confirmed that Australia would work with Tuvalu to ensure its sovereignty was respected. Conroy also stated that “Australia commits to assist Tuvalu in responding to a major natural disaster, a health pandemic, or military aggression. This is predicated on Tuvalu requesting such assistance.”

References

References

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