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 75)
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 an important politician from the Cook Islands. He served as the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum from May 2021 to May 2024. Before that, he was the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands for nearly ten years, from November 2010 to October 2020. Since 2006, he has also been the leader of the Cook Islands Party.

Mr. Puna was first elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands in 2005. He later became Prime Minister after his party won the 2010 election. As Prime Minister, he was in charge of many government departments, including Foreign Affairs, Marine Resources, and Energy. In 2020, he decided to step down as Prime Minister to try for the top job at the Pacific Islands Forum. He was successfully chosen for this role in February 2021.

Early Life and Education
Political Journey
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (2010–2020)
Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum (2021–2024)
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and Education

Henry Puna grew up on the island of Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. He went to school there and on Rarotonga. Later, he studied law at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the University of Tasmania in Australia.

Before he became a politician, he worked as a lawyer, a public servant, and even a pearl farmer. In 1999, he was chosen to be the Cook Islands' High Commissioner to New Zealand. This means he was the country's main representative there. His father and two older brothers were also involved in politics, serving in the Cook Islands Parliament or as government ministers.

Political Journey

Mr. Puna first ran for Parliament in 2004. He ran for the Manihiki seat, which was held by the Prime Minister at the time. He lost by a small number of votes, but after a review, a special election was held in 2005, which he won.

In 2006, he became the leader of the Cook Islands Party. However, he lost his seat in Parliament in the election that year. Even though he wasn't in Parliament, he continued to lead his party. During this time, he worked as a lawyer and pearl farmer. In 2009, he was chosen again as the party leader.

Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (2010–2020)

First Term: 2010–2014

Henry Puna was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Manihiki in the 2010 election. His party won many seats, and he became the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands on 30 November 2010. His main goals were to improve the economy and work closely with New Zealand.

His government focused on making state-owned businesses better at providing services, not just making money. They also wanted to be more open about how government money was spent. In 2011, he started a big plan to use renewable energy, aiming for 100% clean electricity by 2020. Many northern islands now use solar power.

In 2011, he announced a plan to create a huge marine protected area around the southern Cook Islands. This area, called Marae Moana, became law in 2017. The Cook Islands also joined the Polynesian Leaders Group to work with other Pacific nations on issues like climate change and trade. As the leader of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2012, he spoke out about climate change and the need for stronger action.

Second Term: 2014–2018

In the 2014 election, Mr. Puna's party won by a small margin. After some changes, his government kept its majority. During this term, there was a vote on Aitutaki about allowing planes to fly on Sundays. Even though residents voted against it, the government later decided not to stop the flights.

In 2015, Mr. Puna's government hosted celebrations for 50 years of the Cook Islands' self-government. He also spoke at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, urging global leaders to act faster on climate change. His government also signed a fishing agreement with the European Union. In 2017, the Marae Moana marine park was made even stronger, banning commercial fishing and deep-sea mining around each island.

Third Term: 2018–2020

In the 2018 election, Mr. Puna's party lost some seats but formed a new government by working with other politicians. His government continued to highlight the importance of dealing with climate change.

In 2019, there were some questions raised about how a government-chartered plane was used. However, a court later dismissed these concerns in 2021.

In 2020, Mr. Puna led the Cook Islands' response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked on plans to bring Cook Islanders living overseas back home safely. He also hoped to create a "tourism bubble" with New Zealand so visitors could return. In June 2020, he announced he would step down as Prime Minister to seek the role of Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum. He 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 (2021–2024)

On 4 February 2021, Henry Puna was chosen as the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum. This is a very important role for the Pacific region. He took over from Meg Taylor.

After his election, some countries, especially from Micronesia, were unhappy. They felt that a past agreement about rotating the leadership role was not followed. Some countries, like Palau, even considered leaving the Forum. However, Mr. Puna began his term as Secretary-General in May 2021. He finished his term on 23 May 2024 and was succeeded by Baron Waqa from Nauru.

Personal Life

Henry Puna is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Henry Puna facts for kids

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