Henry Puna Facts for Kids

Additional Ministries


Minister of Energy
In office 3 December 2010 – 1 October 2020
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Smiley Heather
Succeeded by	Mark Brown
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 3 November 2013 – 1 October 2020
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Tom Marsters
Succeeded by	Mark Brown
Minister of Marine Resources
In office 3 November 2013 – 1 October 2020
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Teina Bishop
Succeeded by	Mark Brown
Minister of Education
In office 17 December 2014 – 4 June 2020
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Mona Ioane
Succeeded by	Vaine Mokoroa
Minister of Transport
In office 3 November 2013 – 20 September 2018
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Tom Marsters
Succeeded by	Robert Tapaitau
Minister of Police
In office March 2020 – 1 October 2020
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Vaine Mokoroa
Succeeded by	Mark Brown
In office 3 December 2010 – 17 April 2012
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Jim Marurai
Succeeded by	Teariki Heather
Minister for the Environment
In office 3 December 2010 – 3 November 2013
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Cassey Eggelton
Succeeded by	Kiriau Turepu
Minister of Justice
In office 3 December 2010 – 3 November 2013
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Apii Piho
Succeeded by	Teariki Heather

Member of the Cook Islands Parliament
for Manihiki

In office
17 November 2010 – 24 March 2021

Preceded by

Apii Piho

Succeeded by

Akaiti Puna

In office
8 February 2005 – 27 September 2006

Preceded by

Robert Woonton

Succeeded by

Apii Piho

Personal details

Born

29 July 1949 (age 76)
Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Political party

Cook Islands Party

Spouse

Akaiti Puna

Children

Education

University of Auckland
University of Tasmania

Henry Tuakeu Puna (born 29 July 1949) is a politician from the Cook Islands. A politician is someone who works in government. Puna served as the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands for ten years, from 2010 to 2020. He was also the leader of the Cook Islands Party.

More recently, he was the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum from 2021 to 2024. This group helps countries in the Pacific Ocean work together.

In June 2020, Puna announced he would step down as prime minister. He wanted to compete for the job of secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. He left the prime minister's office on 1 October 2020. On 4 February 2021, he was elected as the new secretary-general.

Early Life and Education
Political Career
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (2010–2020)
Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and Education

Henry Puna grew up on the islands of Aitutaki and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. For higher education, he studied law at universities in New Zealand and Australia. Before becoming a full-time politician, he worked as a lawyer and a pearl farmer.

Puna's family has a history in politics. His father, Tuakeu Manuela, was a member of the government. His older brothers, William Estall and Ngereteina Puna, were also government ministers.

Political Career

Puna first tried to get elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands in 2004. He did not win at first, but after a legal challenge and a special election in 2005, he won the seat for Manihiki.

In 2006, he became the leader of the Cook Islands Party. He lost his seat in the 2006 election but remained the party leader. During this time, he worked as a lawyer and pearl farmer. He was re-elected as party leader in 2009.

Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (2010–2020)

In the 2010 election, Puna's party won a majority of the seats in Parliament. This victory made him the new Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He was sworn into office on 30 November 2010.

First Term as Prime Minister

As prime minister, Puna focused on improving the country's economy. He also worked on the relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand.

One of his biggest projects was a plan for renewable energy. He wanted the country to get 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, like the sun, by 2020. With help from other countries, the northern islands switched to solar power by 2015.

In 2011, Puna announced a plan to create a huge marine protected area. This area, now called Marae Moana, is a space in the ocean where nature is protected. It became law in 2017. He also helped start the Polynesian Leaders Group, where leaders from different Polynesian islands work together on issues like climate change and education.

Second Term as Prime Minister

Puna's party won the 2014 election, and he began his second term. His government continued to work on important issues. In 2015, the Cook Islands celebrated 50 years of self-government with a large event.

Puna was a strong voice for action on climate change. He spoke at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France. He urged world leaders to do more to protect the planet from the effects of climate change.

In 2017, his government passed the law to officially create the Marae Moana marine park. This park covers the entire ocean territory of the Cook Islands. It includes a special 50-nautical-mile zone around each island where commercial fishing is not allowed.

Third Term as Prime Minister

After the 2018 election, Puna formed a coalition government to stay in power. A coalition is when different political parties agree to work together.

His government continued to focus on climate change and building relationships with other countries. In 2020, he led the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked to keep the islands safe and bring home Cook Islanders who were overseas.

In June 2020, Puna announced he would be stepping down as prime minister to seek a new role at the Pacific Islands Forum. He officially left office in October 2020 and was replaced by Mark Brown.

Prime Minister Puna visits The Australian National University College of Law on 11 November 2019.

Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum

On 4 February 2021, Puna was elected as the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. This is a very important job that involves working with leaders from across the Pacific region.

His election caused some disagreement. Some countries in a region called Micronesia felt it was their turn to have a leader in that role. As a result, the country of Palau announced it would leave the Forum. Other Micronesian nations, including the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia, also considered leaving.

Puna began his job as secretary-general in May 2021. He finished his term on 23 May 2024 and was succeeded by Baron Waqa of Nauru.

Personal Life

Puna is married to Akaiti Puna and they have five children. He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Henry Puna facts for kids

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