Tuvalu–United States relations
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Tuvalu – United States relations are
bilateral relations Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...
between Tuvalu and the United States.


History

There was limited interaction between U.S. citizens and the Tuvaluan people in the 19th century. American whaling ships were active in the waters of the Tuvaluan archipelago. In 1821 Captain George Barrett, of the
Nantucket Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...
whaler ''Independence II'', visited
Niulakita Niulakita is the southernmost island of Tuvalu, and also the name of the only village on this island. Niulakita has a population of 34 (2017 Census). The residents of Niulakita have moved to the island from Niutao. Niulakita is represented in th ...
, which he named ''Rocky (Group)''.Keith S. Chambers & Doug Munro, ''The Mystery of Gran Cocal: European Discovery and Mis-Discovery in Tuvalu'', 89(2) (1980) The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 167-198 This name was never much used, but ''Independence Island'', after Barrett's ship, was one of the several names which came into general use for Niulakita during the 19th century. The United States Exploring Expedition under Lieutenant Charles Wilkes visited Funafuti,
Nukufetau Nukufetau is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu. The atoll was claimed by the US under the Guano Islands Act some time in the 19th century and was ceded in a treaty of friendship concluded in 1979 and coming into force in 1983. It has a ...
and Vaitupu in 1841. During the visit of the expedition to Tuvalu
Alfred Thomas Agate Alfred Thomas Agate (February 14, 1812 – January 5, 1846) was a noted American artist, painter and miniaturist. Agate lived in New York from 1831 to 1838. He studied with his brother, Frederick Styles Agate, a portrait and historical painter ...
, engraver and illustrator, recorded the dress and tattoo patterns of men of Nukufetau. On 15 April 1889
Niulakita Niulakita is the southernmost island of Tuvalu, and also the name of the only village on this island. Niulakita has a population of 34 (2017 Census). The residents of Niulakita have moved to the island from Niutao. Niulakita is represented in th ...
was sold for $1,000 to Mr H. J. Moors, an American citizen living in Apia, Samoa. Niulakita and other islands of the Tuvaluan archipelago were claimed by the United States under the Guano Islands Act (1856), which was passed by the U.S. Congress to enable citizens of the U.S. to take possession of islands containing
guano Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. G ...
deposits. In the 1840s guano was a source of saltpeter for gunpowder as well as an agricultural fertilizer. The legislation was enacted to assist in securing supplies of guano. On 4 August 1892 Captain Davis of visited
Niulakita Niulakita is the southernmost island of Tuvalu, and also the name of the only village on this island. Niulakita has a population of 34 (2017 Census). The residents of Niulakita have moved to the island from Niutao. Niulakita is represented in th ...
but did not land on the island, he recorded in the ship's journal: “Several natives appeared on the beach, and hoisted up an American ensign.” On 16 September 1896 Captain Gibson of HMS ''Curacoa'', recorded in the ship's journal that six men and six women, natives of various islands, were living on Niulakita working for Moors. Captain Gibson determined that the island was not under American protection so he hoisted the Union Jack and delivered the flag, with a copy of the Declaration of British Protectorate, to the headman of the working party. Moors later abandoned Niulakita when the deposits of guano were depleted. In 1900 USFC ''Albatross'' visited Funafuti when the United States Fish Commission were investigating the
formation of coral reefs A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...
on Pacific atolls.
Harry Clifford Fassett Harry Clifford Fassett (1870–1953) worked for the United States Fish Commission and later the United States Bureau of Fisheries. He became an expert on the salmon fisheries in Alaska and was also a map-maker and photographer. Fassett was born ...
, captain's clerk and photographer, recorded people, communities and scenes at Funafuti. During the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
(World War 2) Funafuti was used as a base to prepare for the subsequent seaborn attacks on the Gilbert Islands ( Kiribati) that were occupied by Japanese forces. The United States Marine Corps landed on Funafuti on 2 October 1942 and on
Nanumea Nanumea is the northwesternmost atoll in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, a group of nine coral atolls and islands spread over about of the Pacific Ocean just south of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Nanumea is with a popul ...
and
Nukufetau Nukufetau is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu. The atoll was claimed by the US under the Guano Islands Act some time in the 19th century and was ceded in a treaty of friendship concluded in 1979 and coming into force in 1983. It has a ...
in August 1943. The Japanese had already occupied Tarawa and other islands in what is now Kiribati, but were delayed by the losses at the
Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...
. The atolls of Tuvalu acted as a staging post during the preparation for the
Battle of Tarawa The Battle of Tarawa was fought on 20–23 November 1943 between the United States and Japan at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, and was part of Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, an ...
and the Battle of Makin that commenced on 20 November 1943, which was the implementation of "Operation Galvanic". Following Tuvalu becoming an independent nation in 1978, relations with the United States were confirmed by the signing of a Treaty of Friendship in 1979, which was ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1983, under which the United States renounced prior territorial claims to four Tuvaluan islands ( Funafuti,
Nukufetau Nukufetau is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu. The atoll was claimed by the US under the Guano Islands Act some time in the 19th century and was ceded in a treaty of friendship concluded in 1979 and coming into force in 1983. It has a ...
, Nukulaelae and
Niulakita Niulakita is the southernmost island of Tuvalu, and also the name of the only village on this island. Niulakita has a population of 34 (2017 Census). The residents of Niulakita have moved to the island from Niutao. Niulakita is represented in th ...
) under the Guano Islands Act of 1856.


Management of tuna fishing in the western Pacific

Tuvalu participates in the operations of the
Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) is an intergovernmental agency established in 1979 to facilitate regional co-operation and co-ordination on fisheries policies between its member states in order to achieve conservation and optimum ...
(FFA) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The Tuvaluan government, the US government, and the governments of other Pacific islands, are parties to the South Pacific Tuna Treaty (SPTT), which entered into force in 1988. Tuvalu is also a member of 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 ...
which addresses the management of tuna purse seine fishing in the tropical western Pacific. In May 2013 representatives from the United States and the Pacific Islands countries agreed to sign interim arrangement documents to extend the Multilateral Fisheries Treaty (which encompasses the South Pacific Tuna Treaty) to confirm access to the fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific for US tuna boats for 18 months. Tuvalu and the other members of the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the United States have settled a tuna fishing deal for 2015; a longer-term deal will be negotiated. The treaty is an extension of 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 ...
and provides for US flagged purse seine vessels to fish 8,300 days in the region in return for a payment of US$90 million made up by tuna fishing industry and US-Government contributions.


Differences in positions on climate change

There have been disagreements between the two countries over the issues of climate change and the
Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part ...
. The main point of friction between Tuvalu and the United States has been the latter's non-ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The impact of
global warming in Tuvalu Climate change is particularly threatening for the long-term habitability of the island state of Tuvalu. This is because the average height of the islands is less than above sea level, with the highest point of Niulakita being about above sea l ...
has been a concern of the government of Tuvalu. Following the Kyoto Protocol, Tuvalu repeatedly urged the United States to do more to reduce its pollution levels. In 2002, Tuvaluan Prime Minister
Koloa Talake Koloa Fineaso Talake (7 June 1934 – 26 May 2008) was a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. He represented the constituency of Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu from 1993. He served as Minister of Finance (1993-96) and was th ...
threatened to take the United States to the International Court of Justice for its refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. He was prevented from doing so by his subsequent defeat in that year's general election. More recently, under the administration of President Barack Obama, the United States has acknowledged the effects of climate change on the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS). Prime Minister
Enele Sopoaga Enele Sosene Sopoaga PC (born 10 February 1956) is a Tuvaluan diplomat and politician who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019. Sopoaga was elected to Parliament in the 2010 general election. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Mi ...
said at the
2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21 or CMP 11 was held in Paris, France, from 30 November to 12 December 2015. It was the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Conve ...
(COP21 in December 2015) that the goal for COP21 should a global temperature goal of below 1.5 degrees Celsius relative to pre-industrial levels, which is the position 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 ...
. The leadership of President Obama in achieving the outcome of COP21, resulted in the participating countries agreeing to reduce their carbon output "as soon as possible" and to do their best to keep global warming "to well below 2 degrees C", results in a closer alignment in the climate change policies of the two countries. Prime Minister
Enele Sopoaga Enele Sosene Sopoaga PC (born 10 February 1956) is a Tuvaluan diplomat and politician who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019. Sopoaga was elected to Parliament in the 2010 general election. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Mi ...
described the important outcomes of COP21 as including the stand-alone provision for assistance to small island states and some of the least developed countries for loss and damage resulting from climate change and the ambition of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century.


Consistent position on human rights practices

Tuvalu supports American positions on issues related to human rights. Tuvalu participates in the preparation of reports prepared by the U.S. Department of State entitled "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices", which are submitted to the U.S Congress by the Department of State in compliance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA) and section 504 of the Trade Act of 1974. Tuvalu is recognised as one of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and participates in the activities 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) and from this perspective Tuvalu lobbies to achieve development goals that in international forums may be opposed by the United States. There are many aspects of social and political policy on which Tuvalu maintains a position that is consistent with that of the United States. On 29 September 2013 the Deputy Prime Minister
Vete Sakaio Vete Sakaio OBE is a Tuvaluan politician. A civil engineer by trade, he was described in 2008 as a "leader of the community" on his home island of Niutao. He is also the Vice President of the Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic C ...
stated in his speech to the General Debate of the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, that Tuvalu, maintains a commitment to “multilateralism and genuine collective action to reflect, assess, address and plan ahead our Chartered principles of peace, justice, human rights and social progress, and equal opportunity for all.”


Tuvalu's relations with Cuba

Tuvalu recognises the government of Cuba and the government of Tuvalu has, since 2008, stated a desire for the U.S. to review its relationship with Cuba. The Deputy Prime Minister
Vete Sakaio Vete Sakaio OBE is a Tuvaluan politician. A civil engineer by trade, he was described in 2008 as a "leader of the community" on his home island of Niutao. He is also the Vice President of the Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic C ...
stated in his 2013 speech to the U.N. that “Tuvalu also fully supports the lifting of the embargos against Cuba. This will allow the Republic of Cuba to further consolidate and enhance its cooperation with Small Islands Developing States like Tuvalu.”


Diplomatic missions

Neither country has a resident ambassador. The United States ambassador to
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 ...
is accredited to Tuvalu. Tuvalu maintains a diplomatic presence in the United States through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in New York City;US Department of State
/ref> it is headed by
Samuelu Laloniu Samuelu Laloniu (born 14 May 1969) is a career diplomat from Tuvalu. He took up his post as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations on 21 July 2017. He also presented his credentials as Tuvalu's ambassador to the United States on 21 J ...
(since 21 July 2017).


See also

*
Foreign relations of Tuvalu This article is about the foreign relations of Tuvalu. From 1916 to 1975, Tuvalu was part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony of the United Kingdom. A referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Island ...
* Foreign relations of the United States *
United States Ambassador to Tuvalu The United States ambassador to Tuvalu is the official representative of the government of the United States to the government of Tuvalu. The ambassador is concurrently the ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, and Tonga, while residing in Su ...


References


External links


History of Tuvalu - U.S. relations

Official website of the United States embassy in Fiji
The US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu.
Address of the Permanent Mission of Tuvalu to the United Nations
Tuvalu's only diplomatic presence in the United States. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tuvalu-United States relations Bilateral relations of the United States United States