New Permanent Observer of Pacific Islands Forum Presents Letter of Nomination to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

Merewalesi Falemaka, the new Permanent Observer of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her letter of nomination to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Ms. Falemaka has been serving as Permanent Representative of the Pacific Islands Forum to the World Trade Organization in Geneva since 2013.  She was also Permanent Observer of the Forum to the United Nations Office at Geneva from May 2018 to March 2023.  From 2009 to 2013, Ms. Falemaka worked as the Director of Trade and Investment/Economic Development at the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat in Port Vila, Vanuatu. 

Before this, she held different posts at the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat in Fiji.  She was a Trade Consultant for Pacific States on the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the European Union at the Forum from 2007 to 2009, and Commonwealth Trade Consultant for Pacific States on the same negotiations from 2006 to 2007.  She served as Trade Policy Adviser on World Trade Organization issues at the Forum from 2000 to 2006.

Ms. Falemaka worked at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade of Fiji in various capacities from 1986 to 1999, including as Chief Economist.

Ms. Falemaka holds a Master of Economic Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia (1996) and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Geography from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji (1982).

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HRC23.013E