High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and concurrently appointed as ambassador to the then European Community and the European Commission as well as to Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the then Soviet Union and the United States of America. In 1986 he returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Secretary for Foreign Affairs. In 1999 he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of Tonga to the United Nations and further appointed concurrently as Tonga's Ambassador Extraordinary and Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and Tonga's High Commissioner to Canada before being recalled to take up his ministerial appointments. Since his appointment as Foreign Minister Taumoepeau-Tupou was also appointed as Tonga's Acting defence minister on 22 April 2005 following the sudden death of Colonel 'Aloua Fetu'utolu Tupou. He was also appointed as the Acting Governor of Vava'u following the death of the Hon. ʻAkauʻola. In June 2009, Taumoepeau-Tupou became Tonga's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a position that has concurrent accreditation as Tongan Ambassador to the United States, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela, and Tongan High Commissioner to Canada. He presented his credentials as Ambassador to the United States of America on 22 February 2010. He presented his credentials as High Commissioner to Canada on 19 May 2010. On 28 March 2011, he was created a Tongan life peer by King George Tupou V with the noble title of Lord Taumoepeau-Tupou of Toula and Kotu. Controversy In April 2010, a 3-year Royal Land Commission investigation headed by Lord Fielakepa as chairman investigated corrupt land dealing, and implicated that Taumoepeau-Tupou had acted unethically in his role as Acting Governor of Vava'u. The final land commission report stated "that the Acting Governor Tu'a Taumoepeau has a lot of explaining to give" and recommended that Government investigate the whole background to the registration and the involvement of the then Acting Governor Tu'a Taumoepeau in these dealings. Honours National honours Order of Queen Sālote Tupou III, Grand Cross (31 July 2008). References External links "Community Spotlight – H.E. Ambassador Tu'akinamolahi Taumoepeau Tupou", Undated, 'Anapesi Ka'ili, Planet Tonga "Pacific Islands will keep pressing for better labour mobility, says Tongan Foreign Minister", 4 November 2005, Pesi Fonua, Matangi Tonga Online [rtsp://webcast.un.org/ondemand/conferences/unhrc/upr/2nd/hrc080519pm-eng_part1.rm?start=00:11:03&end=00:13:39 Mr. Sonatane Tu'akinamolahi Taumoepeau Tupou addresses the United Nations Human Rights Council], upon the adoption of the Report on Tonga (19 May 2008)] |- 1943 births 2013