Secretary-General Appoints Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu of Tonga High Representative for Least Developed, Landlocked, Small Island States

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu of Tonga as High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. She will succeed Gyan Chandra Acharya of Nepal, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedication and commitment to the United Nations.

Ms. ‘Utoikamanu brings with her a wealth of national, regional and international experience at various senior leadership levels, with a strategic perspective on the mandate of the Office of High Representative and on building consensus among key stakeholders.

Currently Chief Executive Officer of Tonga’s Ministry of Tourism, she served as Acting Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific in 2015.  Between 2009 and 2016, she served the same University as Deputy Pro-Chancellor and Deputy Chair of Council.  She served from 2009 to 2015 as Deputy Director-General and Director of Education, Training and Human Development in the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

Between 2005 and 2009, Ms. ‘Utoikamanu was her country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Ambassador to the United States, Cuba and Venezuela; and High Commissioner to Canada.  From 2002 to 2005, she was Tonga’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs and the European Commission’s National Authorizing Officer for Tonga.

Born in 1959, Ms. ‘Utoikamanu holds Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Commerce degrees in economics from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

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*     This supersedes Press Release BIO/3638 of 15 February 2005.