Lord Fakafanua is a distinguished Tongan statesman and a strong advocate for ocean stewardship and Pacific regional unity. As the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga, he plays a central role in shaping national policy and representing Tonga’s interests on the global stage.
Lord Fakafanua embarked early on his political career. At age 24 he became one of the youngest Members of Parliament in 2009. At age 27, Lord Fakafanua assumed the role of Speaker of Parliament as the youngest ever elected by parliament to that office in Tonga and, at the time, the youngest presiding Speaker in the world. Over the course of his political career, Lord Fakafanua has engaged with monumental changes in the Tongan Parliament, including presiding over major political reform, and passionately advocating for greater representation for women and youth in Parliament. During his term as Speaker, Lord Fakafanua entered the Tongan Parliament into the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) as the 164th member. The 5 Conference of the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Assembly (PIPA), elected Lord Fakafanua to be the inaugural Chair of the Board of the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Assembly. At age 40, he was elected by parliament to become the 20 Prime Minister of Tonga besting the incumbent in a 16 to 10 vote.
In 2014 Lord Fakafanua took a break from politics to pursue further studies at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji and
subsequently completed a Master of Arts in Diplomacy, Law and Business at the O.P. Jindal Global University, India. Lord
Fakafanua has since resumed his role as the incumbent Speaker of Parliament after being re-elected in the 2017 and subsequently 2021 general elections. He was elected to serve from 2023 to 2024 by the Asia-Pacific Geopolitical Group of the Inter-\ Parliamentary Union as the first Pacific Island representative to the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians. In 2025 Lord Fakafanua was inducted as an Ocean Elder where he continues to advocate for the protection and health of the Pacific Ocean. He has spoken at the United Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Commonwealth, advocating for stronger protections for marine ecosystems and greater global action on climate change.
Lord Fakafanua has a passion for youth development, in the face of rising substance addiction, illicit drugs related issues and youth unemployment in Tonga. Beyond his political work in parliament, Lord Fakafanua is also the president of the Shooting Association of Tonga (SAT) and the national federation for Rugby League.
As a technophile he seeks the development of a knowledge based economy to support and capitalize on Tonga’s young
demography and low regulatory frameworks. He is a strong advocate for nature and especially humpback whales, circular
economies, the Pacific Island Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific, data driven policies and decarbonising Tonga’s energy systems.
Lord Fakafanua has dedicated his career to public service, with a deep commitment to development, governance, climate
resilience, and sustainable ocean management and has since been a leading voice on issues affecting Tonga and the greater
Pacific region..
Prime Minister’s Office
Vuna Road, Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga
