Minute Alapati Taupo

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(1 February 1962 – 23 May 2022) was a

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...

an politician, diplomat, economist and accountant. Taupo was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in the

2019 Tuvaluan general election General elections were held in Tuvalu on 9 September 2019. There were 37 candidates seeking election to the Parliament, two of whom are women: Valisi Alimau, who was contesting in the Nukufetau electorate, and Puakena Boreham who was seeking re- ...

to represent the

Nanumanga Nanumanga or Nanumaga is a reef island and a district of the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu. It has a surface area of about 3 km² with a population of 491 (2017 Census). History On 9 May 1824 a French government expedition under Captain ...

electorate. He was appointed

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

& Minister for Fisheries and Trade in the Natano Ministry.

Education

Taupo graduated from Loughborough University of Technology (now known as

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for post-nominals) is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university since 1966, but it dates back to 1909, when L ...

) in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, with a Postgraduate Diploma degree in Cooperative Management & Development in 1988. In 1995, he completed a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in

Economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

and

Accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. Accounting, which has been called the "languag ...

& Financial Management at the

University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public university, public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and ...

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

. He later earned a Master of Commerce degree in

Finance Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...

(with

Banking A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

) in 2001 from the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Civil service

He began work as a Bank Officer for the National Bank of Tuvalu in 1983. In 1986, he became the Co-operatives & Trade Officer in the Ministry of Finance and Public Corporations. From 1990 to 1995, he was appointed to represent the Pacific Small Island States to the Tourism Council of the South Pacific (now known as

South Pacific Tourism Organisation The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) formerly known as the South Pacific Tourism Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation for the tourism sector in the South Pacific. The SPTO markets, promotes, and develops tourism in the Pacific in o ...

) Management Board. In 1995, he was promoted to Assistant Secretary for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning before he became the Acting

Permanent Secretary A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...

in 1996. During his tenure, he was chairman of the National Bank of Tuvalu Board, Development Bank of Tuvalu Board, Tuvalu National Provident Fund Board, National Coinage Security Committee, Tuvalu Public Tenders Board, and the

Vaiaku Lagi Hotel The Funafuti Lagoon Hotel formally known as Vaiaku Langi Hotel, or Vaiaku Lagi Hotel, is situated in Funafuti, in the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. The hotel was built in 1993 with financial assistance from the government of Taiwan. Features ...

Board. He was also a Director of the Foreign Investment Facilitating Board, Tuvalu Electricity Corporation Board, and the Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau Board. Taupo was the Registrar of Companies and Co-operative Societies, and Tuvalu's Deputy National Authorizing Officer for the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

Funds. Later in 1996, he was transferred to serve as Acting

for the Ministry of Tourism, Trade, and Commerce. In 1997, he was posted to the Tuvalu High Commission in

as First Secretary. He was promoted to Deputy High Commissioner in 1999. Taupo returned to

in 2002 to serve as Senior Assistant Secretary in the Office of the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

. He resumed diplomatic duties for Tuvalu in late 2002, when he was appointed his country's Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Permanent Representative to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

. The newly established Permanent Mission in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

represented Tuvalu to the UN and supported its leading role as Vice-Chairman of the

Alliance of Small Island States Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small island countries. AOSIS was established in 1990, ahead of the Second World Climate Conference. The main purpose of the alliance is to con ...

( AOSIS). In late 2006, Taupo became the

for the Ministry of Natural Resources, Lands and Environment. He was Tuvalu's focal-point for Global Environment Facility (GEF), SPREP,

SOPAC SOPAC has the following meanings: *The Southern Pacific Railroad (SoPac) *The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission * Social OnLine Public Access Catalog *South Orange Performing Arts Center *Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre *South Pacific C ...

, FAO,

Forum Fisheries Agency The Forum Fisheries Agency is an organization run by the Pacific Islands Forum. It operates the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre, headquartered in the Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major i ...

(FFA) and

Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is both a general and a tuna regional fisheries management organisation established to conserve and manage tuna and other highly migratory fish stocks across the western and central area ...

(WCPFC). Taupo was a member of the Development Coordinating Committee of the Tuvalu Government, and chairman of the Sub-Committee of the Parties to the

Nauru Agreement The Nauru Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Management of Fisheries of Common Interest, or The Nauru Agreement is an Oceania subregional agreement between the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Pa ...

. In 2008, he was transferred to serve as the

for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Taupo was chairman of the National Scholarship Committee, Committee of the

Extension Services in Tuvalu, and Tuvalu Maritime Training School Board. He was also Tuvalu's representative to the South Pacific Board for Educational Assessment, and a member of the Development Coordinating Committee of the Tuvalu Government. In 2009, he was appointed

for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. During his tenure, he served as Tuvalu's Alternate Governor to the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...

, and

Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field office ...

. Taupo was also chairman of the National Bank of Tuvalu Board, Development Bank of Tuvalu Board, National Coinage Security Committee, Tuvalu Public Tenders Board, Price Control Board, Macroeconomic Policy Committee, and Core Budget Committee. Additionally, he served as Alternate Chairman of the

Tuvalu Trust Fund The Tuvalu Trust Fund is an international sovereign wealth fund established to benefit Tuvalu, a small, central Pacific island nation, by providing income to cover shortfalls in the national budget, underpin economic development, and help the na ...

Board, a Director of the Foreign Investment Facilitating Board, and a member of the Development Coordinating Committee of the Tuvalu Government. Taupo was also Tuvalu's National Authorizing Officer for the EU Fund, and Registrar of Companies and Co-operative Societies. Occasionally, he was acting Secretary to Government. Taupo was posted to the Republic of China (

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

) in 2013 as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, entrusted with the task of establishing the Embassy of Tuvalu in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

. He presented his credentials to the

President of the Republic of China The president of the Republic of China, now often referred to as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The position once had aut ...

Ma Ying-jeou on 14 March 2013. He was the founder of the Pacific

Small Island Developing States Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a group of developing countries that are small island countries which tend to share similar sustainable development challenges. These include small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, ...

(PSIDS) Group of Missions where he was appointed its first Secretary-General and later elected as Dean in 2016 to represent the entire group (consisting of

Nauru Nauru ( or ; na, Naoero), officially the Republic of Nauru ( na, Repubrikin Naoero) and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Ki ...

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...

Kiribati Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati
''The Wor ...

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...

and

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

) on matters of diplomatic privilege and protocol. Ambassador Taupo was a member of the Executive of the Diplomatic Corps in

. He also represented Tuvalu at the Ministerial Conference on Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and the Pacific in 2013.

Political career

Taupo was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in the

to represent the

electorate. He was appointed

and Minister for Fisheries and Trade in the Natano Ministry. He has actively represented Tuvalu in various Ministerial meetings, high-level dialogues, and negotiations. In September 2019, he led the delegation of the newly formed government to the

( UN) General Assembly 74th Session and delivered Tuvalu's statement.

Death

Taupo was invited as a guest of honour to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of a chapel on the island of Nui. Soon after delivering his remarks, Taupo collapsed in the meeting hall and died.

Award

Taupo was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the 2018 New Year Honours for contribution to public services.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taupo, Minute 1962 births 2022 deaths Deputy Prime Ministers of Tuvalu Government ministers of Tuvalu Ambassadors of Tuvalu to Taiwan Members of the Parliament of Tuvalu Members of the Order of the British Empire University of Sydney alumni University of the South Pacific alumni People from Nanumanga