Falaniko "Falani" Iosefo Aukuso (September 1948 – 31 July 2008) was the deputy director general of the

Secretariat of the Pacific Community The Pacific Community (PC), formerly the South Pacific Commission (SPC), is an international development organisation governed by 27 members, including 22 Pacific island countries and territories. The organisation's headquarters are in Nouméa, ...

. Aukuso was a native of

Tokelau Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, a ...

. He served as the Tokelauan director of

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

. He later worked as a diplomatic officer with the New Zealand Ministry of External Relations and Trade from 1990 to 1994. He returned to Tokelau where he was the director of the Office of the Council of Faipule, which is the island country's Cabinet, from 1994 to 2004. Aukuso then became the general manager of the National Office of the Government of Tokelau in May 2004. Aukuso next became the deputy director general of the

on 1 July 2006, a position he held until his death. In the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours, Aukuso was appointed a

Companion of the Queen's Service Order The Queen's Service Order, established by royal warrant of Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, is used to recognise "valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the pu ...

for public services. He died suddenly at his home in Suva, Fiji, on 31 July 2008. His death was announced at the closing ceremonies of the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts at Veterans Stadium in

Tafuna Tafuna ( sm, Tāfuna) is a village on the east coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is home to Pago Pago International Airport (Tafuna Airport). It is one mile south of Nu'uuli, American Samoa. The Ottoville district is a part of Tafuna. Ne ...

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...

. His death was later found to be a suicide.

References

External links

Island Business: SPC prioritises needs of small island states – Falani Aukuso
Year of birth missing 2008 deaths Tokelauan politicians New Zealand diplomats Place of birth missing Companions of the Queen's Service Order {{tokelau-politician-stub