Afelee F. Pita

Afelee Falema Pita
Estonian Ambassador to the United Nations Margus Kolga (left) signs diplomatic relations with the Tuvaluan Ambassador to the United Nations, Afelee F. Pita (right). 25 May 2011.
Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations
In office
19 December 2006 – 20 December 2012
Secretary GeneralKofi Annan
Ban Ki-moon
Prime MinisterApisai Ielemia
Maatia Toafa
Willy Telavi
Preceded byEnele Sopoaga
Succeeded byAunese Simati
Personal details
Born (1958-02-11) 11 February 1958 (age 66)
Alma materUniversity of the South Pacific
ProfessionDiplomat

Afelee Falema Pita (born February 11, 1958)[1] is a Tuvaluan diplomat. He was Tuvalu's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 19 December 2006.[2] to December 2012.[3] He also was the ambassador to the United States.[4]

Pita holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Canberra and a Bachelor of Arts degree in administration and accounting from the University of the South Pacific.[1]

He began his career as a senior official in government administration as assistant Secretary, and then Secretary, at the Tuvaluan Ministry of Commerce and Natural Resources, from 1987 to 1988. He was Assistant Secretary for Commerce from 1989 to 1993, then Acting Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Public Corporations in 1993. From 1994 to 1994, he served as Permanent Secretary in several successive ministries (Health and Sports, Labour and Communication, Resources and Environment, Finance).[1]

From 2001 to 2004, Pita was Adviser to the Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank in Manila, where he served as representative for Australia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.[1]

Returning to Tuvalu, Pita served as Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Lands from 2004 and 2006, before being appointed as Permanent Representative to the United Nations.[1]

In April 2007, Pita addressed the Special Session of the United Nations Security Council on Energy, Climate and Security, and "beseech[ed] the Security Council to act urgently to address the threats to [Tuvalu]'s national security" - namely, climate change.[5][6]

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations
2006–2012 		Succeeded by
  1. ^ a b c d e "NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF TUVALU PRESENTS CREDENTIALS", United Nations press release, December 19, 2006
  2. ^ Tuvalu UN Mission (19 December 2006). "New Permanent Representative of Tuvalu Presents Credentials". United Nations. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. ^ Tuvalu UN Mission (July 2017). "Ambassadors". United Nations. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Foreign Embassies in the U.S. and Their Ambassadors - Office of The Chief of Protocol". U.S. State Department. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Statement Delivered by His Excellency, Mr. Afelee F Pita Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations at the Special Session of the Security Council on Energy, Climate and Security, Tuesday 17th April 2007"
  6. ^ "Endangered Islands", CNN, April 8, 2008