Mata'i'ulua 'i Fonuamotu, Lord Fusitu'a
Chair - Tonga Chapter
A well-respected Tongan politician and Noble of the Realm, Lord Fusitu’a was bestowed with the title Fusituʻa, a hereditary title of the Tongan nobility. Lord Fusitu’a is a sitting Lord Member of Parliament for the Niuas, Legislative Assembly of the Kingdom of Tonga and is actively and multilaterally engaged in a plethora of global organizations with a strong focus on goodwill, community engagement and respect for the law.
Professional Experience
Lord Fusitu’a continuously strikes a professional balance between his senior governmental roles in the Tongan Parliament and his multiple accreditations in the field of law. Throughout his illustrious career, he is deeply entrenched as Chairman and Member of several Parliamentary Committees, aimed at spreading a message of anti-corruption and human rights practices in the Pacific region.
He currently holds the Chairmanship for the Commonwealth Pacific Parliamentary Group on Human Rights and is Executive Board Member of the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) World Board.
From his earlier position as Crown Counsel for the Kingdom of Tonga and his subsequent appointment as Deputy Secretary of the Justice Ministry, Lord Fusitu’a is a well-rounded professional with a proven track record for advocacy in matters of global and regional importance.
External Appointments
Lord Fusit’a has been awarded the Order of Commander of the Royal Order of the Crown. He is Lord Member of Parliament for the Niuas, Legislative Assembly of the Kingdom of Tonga and is co-Chairman of the Standing Committee on Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment.
Furthermore, he is Chairman of the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), both for Tonga and Oceania Chapters.
Education
He obtained a Bachelor of Laws & Graduate Diploma In Legal Practice from the Australian National University, complimenting his Bachelor of Arts in Literature /Linguistics and History / Politics.
Lord Fusitu’a attended King’s College, Auckland and graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Diploma in Tropical Agriculture.
Country Report
Tonga – unique among Pacific nations – never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of “The Friendly Islands” were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific; in 2008, King George Tupou V announced he was relinquishing most of his powers leading up to parliamentary elections in 2010. Tupou died in 2012 and was succeeded by his brother ‘Aho’eitu Tupou VI. Tropical Cyclone Gita, the strongest-ever recorded storm to impact Tonga, hit the islands in February 2018 causing extensive damage.
Location
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand.
Land Mass
748 km2
Official Languages
English & Tongan
Population (2019)
100,651
Head of State
Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa
Capital
Nuku’alofa
Status
Unitary Parliamentary Monarchy
Economy
Tonga has a small, open island economy and is the last constitutional monarchy among the Pacific Island countries. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, make up two-thirds of total exports. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. Tonga had 53,800 visitors in 2015. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from overseas Tongans to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, encouraging investment, and is committing increased funds for health care and education. Tonga’s English-speaking and educated workforce offers a viable labor market, and the tropical climate provides fertile soil. Renewable energy and deep- sea mining also offer opportunities for investment. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well developed s ocial services. But the government faces high unemployment among the young, moderate inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures.